


100 Theme Challenge

by hummerhouse



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Complete, F/M, Het, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, M/M, Male Slash, Mind Control, Multi, Romance, Turtlecest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-01 01:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 100
Words: 131,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3999925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummerhouse/pseuds/hummerhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>by hummerhouse<br/>Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.<br/>Word Count: 132,424<br/>Summary: Written as part of the 100 Theme Challenge on DeviantArt. I decided to try my hand at the 2k12 series but because I began writing this in August 2013, I took some liberties with Casey Jones since his character hadn't been introduced as yet.  The same applies to Irma Langinstein.<br/>*Based on my newest ship at the time - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!<br/>Rated: G to R<br/>~~Preview art for various chapters created by Dragona15, Samantai, Elileo, and Momorawrr with my sincere appreciation. They are so talented!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1. Introduction

            Donatello was pretty sure that he was meeting his first true maniac.

            From the way Raph’s eyes lit up at seeing the older boy’s getup, Don deduced that his hot headed brother had found a kindred spirit.  Leo did not look as pleased; his silent contemplation of the youth was cautious at best.

            Mikey flitted around their new acquaintance like a hummingbird, questioning and touching, pushing and poking.  Somehow the annoyed look on the human’s face at the youngest turtle’s antics was very satisfying to Don.

            In fact, their introduction to Casey Jones was met in characteristic fashion by each of the brothers with the exception of Donatello.  He should have been curious and inquisitive, but instead Don was distrustful and wary.

            Attempting to analyze his reactions to the stranger, Don had to admit that it was the way they were meeting the boy that had raised his hackles.

            It wasn’t just that Jones was a vigilante, or that he had an outspoken view on mutants, or that he was a bit crude.  Don understood that he was what humans considered a ‘bad boy’.

            The problem was the look on April’s face as she introduced Jones to them.  How her eyes glittered when she’d told them he’d rescued her from Mutagen Man.  That the entire time they were talking to Jones, April couldn’t seem to stop staring at him.

            Donatello had rescued April plenty of times and from much more dangerous situations than the ones she’d faced with Jones.  Yet she’d never looked at Don with such a sickeningly gooey expression, at least not when she was fully conscious.

            The word ‘jealousy’ popped into the genius’ head and though he hated to think he was capable of such a distasteful emotion, it seemed the most apt under the circumstances.

            Oddly enough, though April seemed pie-eyed around the youth, Jones didn’t seem to return that attention.  That should have made Don feel a little better about the situation, but it wasn’t that easy to discard his suspicions.

            While Don would have preferred to remain in the background and study this new state of affairs another peculiar thing was taking place.  Jones seemed to be going out of his way to interact with the purple banded turtle.

            Parked behind them sat the Shellraiser, driven by the Turtles when they came out of the tunnels to locate April.  Stroking his hands along its sides, Jones had asked who their mechanic was, at which time Leo had proudly informed him that was Don.  Since then the boy with the dirty face and gargantuan attitude couldn’t seem to leave the genius alone.

            It was a very odd state of affairs indeed. 


	2. 2. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 542  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created by Dragona15 from deviantArt

            From the corner of his eye, Donatello watched as April worked with his father to perfect her skill with the tessen.  He loved the way she moved, even when she faltered, or when April occasionally got her legs tangled and fell.  Her tenacity in picking herself back up and trying again caused the butterflies in his stomach to flutter.

            Then again, pretty much everything the pretty sixteen year old red head did made Don a little weak in the knees.  Despite the teasing from his brothers, Don was in love for the first and hopefully the last time in his life.

            His reverie was broken by the whooping sound made by two miscreants as they leaped the turnstiles and entered the lair.  Raphael and Casey Jones pushed and shoved each other as their voices dropped suddenly, each casting guilty looks in Master Splinter’s direction.

            Rolling his eyes, Don could only imagine the mischief they’d gotten into.  Raph had always had a bit of a rebellious streak and the new kid just seemed to feed it.  Heading topside alone to meet up with Casey and do who knew what brought a frown to Master Splinter’s face, but it infuriated Leonardo.

            At the moment, the turtle leader was glaring at Raph from where he sat in front of the television set.  That glare had nothing to do with the sudden influx of noise from the pair of trouble makers; it was solely an effort to remind Raph that Leo was not pleased.

            It might have worked if Raph had been paying attention to him but he wasn’t.  Head close to Casey’s, Raph was busy sharing what appeared to be some type of inside joke.  Casey’s grin made it obvious that the youth found it to be highly amusing.

            Don glanced over at April when he heard his father speak sharply to her.  To Don’s dismay, April’s attention was no longer on her lesson, but instead on the boy dressed in black.  Color rising in her cheeks, April muttered a quick apology and returned to her tessenjutsu.  Master Splinter’s eyes narrowed in disapproval as they moved from the novice kunoichi to the source of her wandering eyes.

            “Raphael!” Master Splinter called sharply.  “You are disrupting our lesson.”

            Raph looked up quickly and had the decency to appear chagrined.  “Sorry sensei,” he said contritely.

            With his attention diverted, Casey’s eyes drifted around the lair until they fell on Donatello, seated on the couch with his laptop open on his knee.  Swiftly bounding across the intervening space, the older boy plopped down next to Don, draping an arm across the back of the couch and leaning far into the turtle’s personal space.

            “What ya’ workin’ on Don?” Casey asked, his eyes going from the screen to Don’s face in the space of a second.

            Disconcerted by the sudden intrusion, Don spluttered, “I’m redesigning some of the features on the patrol buggy.”

            “Cool,” Casey said, settling further into the cushions.  “Love ta hear about it.”

            Don cleared his throat and looked back down at his screen, but not before catching a glimpse of Raph’s angry scowl as he stood with his arms folded across his plastron.

            Life was starting to get downright complicated.


	3. 3. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 554 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don woke with a start and looked around the room at his sleeping brothers.  Even though they each had their own spaces, they’d once again all dozed off in front of the television.  Don knew he slept more soundly with the knowledge that his siblings were nearby and figured it was probably the same for them as well.

            He was about to turn over and get comfortable again when a light from the kitchen drew his attention.  Don heard a faint sound and decided that must have been what woke him up.

            Glancing towards Master Splinter’s room, Don decided it wasn’t his father because the shoji was closed.  Rising silently, Don walked quietly to the kitchen door and looked inside.

            April stood at the center table, a large mixing bowl in front of her, the contents of which she was busily stirring.  Several baking pans lined the table nearby, and dirty dishes were piled in the sink.

            “Hey April,” Don said in a soft voice.

            Startled, April jumped and nearly dropped the bowl.  Don was across the kitchen in a flash, his hand catching the edge of the bowl and steadying it.

            “You scared me half to death,” April scolded lightly.

            “Sorry,” Don said contritely.  His eyes fell on a spot of flour adhering to her cheek and he was instantly mesmerized, wondering if he had the courage to wipe it off.

            April tugged at the bowl trying to get him to relinquish his hold and finally said, “Let go, Donnie.”

            “Hmm, what?”  Don looked down and realized what April was asking.  Embarrassed, he let go of the bowl and took a step back.

            “So, what are you making?” Don asked.

            “Double chocolate crisp cookies,” April said.  “I couldn’t sleep and I felt like my hands needed to be busy.”

            “Double chocolate,” Don said dreamily.  “I like chocolate, it’s my favorite.”

            “Casey’s too,” April said, her eyes on the baking pans as she dropped spoonful’s of dough onto them.  Her cheeks colored slightly but she didn’t look up.  “At least, I heard him telling Raph that he likes chocolate cookies.”

            “You’re making them for Casey?” Don asked, his voice spiking just a little when he said the other boy’s name.

            April did look up then, saying quickly, “I’m making them for everyone.  I just thought if I was going to bake, I might as well bake something I knew would be eaten.”

            “That’s really nice of you,” Don said, offering her a smile.

            “Well, you guys don’t really have much in the way of snacks,” April said with a shrug.  “I figured if Casey’s going to hang out here, there should be some food a boy his age would like.”

            Don nodded, feeling his stomach flop over on itself.  As far as he was concerned, Casey Jones was hanging out with them much too often as it was.  It was bad enough that the youth had begun to make a nuisance of himself while Don was working, but now April was baking the guy cookies.

            The love struck turtle also couldn’t help but notice the light in April’s eyes whenever she talked about the boy.

            As April pushed the pans into the oven, Don wondered how sick he would get if he ate all of the cookies by himself.


	4. 4. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 573 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art by the very imaginative Dragona15 on deviantArt.

            “So~o, you and April,” Casey began.

            Don stiffened.  “What about April and I?” he asked.

            “She keeps coming in and looking over here,” Casey said.  “You two got something going?”

            The pair were in the space where Don stored the Shellraiser, the patrol buggy, Raph’s Stealth Bike, and the Turtle Flyers, or what was left of them.  Don had been sorting out the parts so that he could put them back together when Casey had popped in and offered to help.

            Since Raph was occupied with Master Splinter in yet another lesson regarding his anger issues, Don figured Casey was bored and would leave him alone when Raph was free.  That had been two hours ago and Don was starting to wonder if Raph even knew Casey was in their home.

            “April and I are _close_ friends,” Don said, emphasizing close in the hopes Casey would get the hint.

            “Friends huh?  That’s cool; I just kinda wanted to get it all placed in my head, ya’ know?” Casey asked rhetorically.

            “Hand me that wrench, please,” Don requested politely, though he was starting to feel far from nice.

            “Here ya’ go Don,” Casey said, placing the wrench in Don’s outstretched palm.

            The tips of Casey’s fingers ghosted across Don’s hand, tickling the skin.  Pulling his hand away quickly, Don tried to focus on his work, but he could feel Casey’s eyes practically boring into him.

            Don wondered how much trouble he’d be in if he hit Casey with the wrench.  He was pretty sure he could make it look like an accident.

            As much as he didn’t want to ask, Don couldn’t help himself.  A kind of dark dread was settling into his chest, making his heart race uncomfortably, and he just needed answers.

            “Why did you want to know?” Don asked, looking up at the youth.

            “Well, uh,” Casey began, looking uncomfortable for the first time.  “She’s a pretty girl I guess and I figured . . . .”

            “How long have you been here?” Raph asked loudly, making both Don and Casey jump.

            The dark look on Raph’s face was a pretty good indication there was a storm brewing behind the turtle’s red mask.  So much for Raph’s attitude adjustment hour with Master Splinter.

            “There ya’ are pal,” Casey said, quickly walking away from Don.  “I saw you was with Master Splinter, so I decided to help Don here put his flying thingies back together while I was waiting on ya’.”

            “Helping Donnie were you?” Raph asked, snapping a dirty look in Don’s direction.  “I got the go ahead to go topside if you still want to do a quick patrol.”

            “Yeah, sure.  Lemme grab my things and we’ll head out,” Casey said.

            Trotting over to the table where he’d dropped his gear, Casey began strapping his pads and weapons into place.  Don turned away from them, trying to concentrate on his project, glad to finally be rid of Casey.

            A moment later a rough hand landed on his shoulder and when Don spun around he came face to face with Raph.

            “We’re gonna have a talk later,” Raph said in a low and not too pleasant voice.

            Before Don could say anything, Casey called, “Well come on while it’s still dark outside.”

            Don stared at their retreating forms as the pair strode out.  Casey Jones was turning out to be bad luck all the way around.


	5. 5. Seeking Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 743 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created for this story by the very talented Dragona15 on DeviantArt.

            Don dragged his feet as he made his way into the kitchen.  Plunking down on a chair, he put his elbows on the table and then rested his chin in his hands.

            He was tired and wanted to go to bed but was afraid his brain wouldn’t shut off long enough to let him sleep.  The thought of joining Mikey on the couch as his little brother watched television was inviting; the mindless programs Mikey enjoyed usually knocked Don right out.

            The only problem was that Don didn’t really want to be sitting in the middle of the lair when Raph came back from his outing with Casey.  Don wasn’t sure what had crawled into Raph’s shell lately, but he seemed intent to take it out on his purple banded brother.

            Don’s eyes were closed as he tried to figure out what he’d done to earn Raph’s wrath.  While in that position, a hot, pepperoni scented breath wafted across his skin suddenly and his eyes snapped open.

            Mikey was inches from his face, a big mischievous smile etching his lips.

            “Whatever you were thinking about doing to me, you’d better not,” Don said in an irritable voice.  “I am not asleep.”

            “I’m hurt that you could think I’d do something like that while you’re vulnerable,” Mikey said, quickly shoving the permanent marker he held back into his belt.

            “Then what do you want?” Don asked, not missing the movement.

            “Just wanted to check on my bro’,” Mikey said as he sat down.  “You look like a zombie dude.  You should go to bed.”

            “I know that,” Don told him.  “I can’t sleep.”

            “’Cause you’re thinking about April?” Mikey said with a lightly teasing lilt.

            “No,” Don said sharply.  “I just have . . . other things on my mind.”

            “Yeah, like April,” Mikey said with a grin, which he quickly erased at the expression on Don’s face.  “Seriously bro’, what’s wrong?  Maybe I can help.”

            Don spent a moment contemplating whether he should talk to him.  Mikey could be a real goof most of the time, but he noticed things.  In fact, he could be a major snoop and that was a trait Don might be able to put to good use.

            “What the heck is wrong with Raph?” Don finally blurted out.  “He’s all over my shell all of a sudden.”

            Mikey looked at him pityingly.  “Dude, human friends are hard to come by, I should know.  Maybe he just doesn’t want to share Casey with you.”

            “He doesn’t have to,” Don said, frowning.  “I am not encouraging Casey to hang around here.”

            “Are you sure Donnie?  Are you really sure?” Mikey asked.

            “What the heck is that supposed to mean?” Don asked in a dangerous voice.  “The guy is always under my feet.  I can’t work without turning around and nearly tripping over him.  He’s driving me nuts.”

            “I see what you mean,” Mikey said with a semi-serious expression.  “That extra set of hands always willing to do whatever you ask, the constant string of compliments on how smart you are, the fact that April hangs out with you more when Casey’s around, yeah, that’s totally annoying.”

            Don glared at him but Mikey just grinned, completely unscathed.  Finally giving up, Don ran a hand across his face.

            “So what should I do about it, short of locking myself in my room?” Don asked.

            “Don’t do that bro’,” Mikey said.  “That would clear the playing field for April and you _don’t_ want her scoring a touchdown.”

            “Casey,” Don said.  “You meant clear the field for Casey.”

            The look on Mikey’s face was enigmatic.  “I said it exactly right Donnie.  You just need to think about it.”

            Don’s next question was interrupted by the sound of Raph’s voice.  He stiffened noticeably and Mikey reached over to pat his arm.

            “Go get some sleep, dude.  You’re safe from Raph tonight; Leo’s been sitting in the dark waiting for him to come home.  They’ll both be too caught up with their own fight to even notice you,” Mikey said with a wink.

            Mikey sauntered out of the kitchen, no doubt to spy on the argument between their older brothers.  Don sighed as he stood up, feeling more tired than ever.

            He’d opened up to Mikey because he was seeking solace from his younger brother.  Now he felt like Mikey had raised even more concerns for Don to deal with.


	6. 6. Break Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 719 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            “I thought you learned from the last time you tried to be leader not to ditch me,” Leo said testily.

            “How is this by any stretch of the imagination ‘ditching you’?” Raph asked hotly.  “I’m not trying to lead anything; Casey and I are just hanging out.”

            “Well you’ve been doing a lot of that lately,” Leo snapped.

            “How would you know?  You have your face buried in that stupid TV show all the time,” Raph said nastily.

            “Space Heroes is not stupid and I do not spend all of my time watching it,” Leo asserted.  “I spend a lot of my time practicing, which is something you used to do with me.”

            Raph crossed his arms over his plastron.  “Maybe I don’t need as much practice as you.”

            From his hiding spot, Don could see Leo’s eyes narrow.  Don imagined the little temperature gauge inside his oldest brother shooting up rapidly and was glad he’d taken a page out of Mikey’s book and resorted to stealthy spying.

            “You certainly need more practice at being a _ninja_ ,” Leo said curtly.  “You don’t even know how to come in quietly anymore.  How do you think Master Splinter would react if he heard you wandering in three hours later than he gave you permission for?”

            “Is that why you’re perched on the stairs waiting for me?” Raph asked sarcastically.  “Are you here to save me from being punished for staying out late?”

            “I’m here because I’m the leader,” Leo said.  “We have a team in case you’ve forgotten.  Ever since Casey started coming around you’ve spent less and less time as a member of it.”

            “Don’t put this on Casey,” Raph snarled, leaning in close to his brother.  “He knows how to handle those mutants the Kraang created.  All you ever want to do is plan and by the time you’re done talking, everyone is gone.”

            “Casey is reckless and he’s going to get you hurt,” Leo said.  “Sneer at planning all you want, let’s not forget how you blew it with Snakeweed.”

            “Oh, you want to throw that in my face?  How about you and little Miss Karai?  ‘ _Don’t worry Raph, there’s good in her, I know it’_ ,” Raph mimicked.

            “Wow, this is their best fight yet,” Mikey whispered in Don’s ear.

            Don jumped, startled by Mikey’s sudden appearance.  Frowning at his brother, Don said, “We should stop them before they wake Master Splinter.”

            “Are you sure you want to stop them?” Mikey asked, blue eyes twinkling.  “Maybe Leo will forbid Casey from coming around.  That’d solve all your problems.”

            “I wish you’d stop talking in riddles,” Don said distractedly, watching as Raph tried to push past Leo, who got directly in his path.

            “The difference is that as soon as I saw that Karai was a problem, I cut her loose,” Leo said.

            “Oh ho!  More like she cut you loose,” Raph sniped with a nasty grin.

            Leo’s expression suddenly changed as he asked quietly, “Is that what you’re trying to do, Raph?  Break away from me?”

            “What?  No!” Raph said loudly, taken aback by the sudden shift in Leo’s demeanor.  “I just want to enjoy, you know, having a friend.  Donnie hogs Casey whenever he’s here, why don’t you jump on the genius?”

            “Don isn’t you, Raph,” Leo answered, “and when they’re together, they don’t leave the lair.”

            “Yeah, and I don’t get any time with my friend either,” Raph said with a scowl.

            “Maybe you and Don should talk about that,” Leo offered helpfully.

            The grin that appeared on Raph’s face was far from humorous.  “I was planning on it.”

            Mikey clapped Don on the shoulder, spooking him again.  “Stop that,” Don whispered.

            “See, they stopped fighting on their own,” Mikey said cheerily.  “But I think you’d better avoid trying to make it to your room for a while.”

            With that piece of advice delivered, Mikey sauntered out to where his two older brothers stood.  Don heard Mikey tell Leo, in answer to a question from their leader, that he thought Don had gone to bed.

            Silently thanking Mikey for his diplomacy, Don wondered if he was going to have to start dodging both Raph _and_ Leo.  Maybe Casey would do them all a favor and get hit by a bus.


	7. 7. Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 837 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Donatello never made it to his room the previous night and wound up staying in his lab.  Seated in his rolling desk chair with his head cradled on his arms wasn’t the most comfortable position to sleep in and he woke with a mild headache.

            Standing and stretching, he decided that he was tired of worrying about Raph’s promised talk.  Don was just cranky enough to hope that his hot headed sibling would go off on him, then he could not only find out what Raph’s problem was, but could relieve some of his own stress by snapping back.

            Walking down the steps from the lab, Don was half expecting to see Mikey lurking somewhere nearby.  Lately his youngest brother seemed to be everywhere at once, and in everyone’s business too.  Don had the feeling he had discovered the key to getting Mikey to pay attention; just give him a little drama and he could focus like a laser.

            No one else was about and with a frown, Don glanced at the clock hanging near the kitchen.  It was early, much earlier than his brothers normally rose, except for Leo.  His oldest brother liked to have some practice time to himself before Raph got up and started challenging him.

            Just as he had that thought, he heard voices coming from the dojo and recognized one of them as April’s.  A pleasant warmth rose to his cheeks as he automatically turned in that direction.  Maybe she wanted a little extra practice too and had joined Leo, in which case she wouldn’t mind if Don helped her out either.

            That idea sounded like a little piece of heaven and Don walked faster, not wanting to waste even a second of the time he could spend with the redhead who’d captured his heart.  As he neared the door, he heard her speak again, but the tone of her voice sounded off.

            With a frown, Don slowed and rather than barging into the dojo, he approached the door carefully.  As he neared it, another voice reached his hearing and Don recognized it as belonging to Casey Jones.

            Don’s fists curled automatically, his heart thumping in his chest.  There was no way Casey was here this early to see Raph, he knew the turtle couldn’t go out in the daytime.  Casey also knew by now that the only ones likely to be up and around were Master Splinter, Leo, Don, or April.

            Since Casey must have come to see April, Don figured he was justified in listening to their conversation.  Maybe eavesdropping wasn’t the most honorable thing in the world, but all’s fair in love and war and Don was a ninja.  Besides, the whole eavesdropping thing seemed to work for Michelangelo.

            “Look kid, you’re all right, but I ain’t gonna spar with ya’,” Casey said, looking down at the girl who stood directly in front of him.  “I didn’t come here for that and I don’t wanna hurt ya’.”

            “What makes you think you can hurt me?” April snapped, looking furious.  “Just because you’re bigger than me doesn’t mean you’re a better fighter.”

            Casey chuckled.  “Yeah, I’ll remember that next time I have to shake a mutant off your butt.”

            “Maybe next time I’ll be the one saving _you_ ,” April said heatedly.  “Or hadn’t you thought of that?”

            “Yeah, sure kid,” Casey said, still not taking her seriously.  “Master Splinter decided to teach you how to defend yourself and that’s great, but you’re too young to be out there battling mutants.  Ya’ need to leave that to the more experienced guys.”

            “Guys?” April shrilled, the indignation in her voice echoing through the dojo.  “You’re a chauvinist Casey Jones.  And stop calling me kid, you aren’t that much older than me and we’re in the same grade.”

            That last part seemed to sting Casey because the grin on his face disappeared.  “Just because I ain’t as far along in school as you are little Miss Privilege, don’t mean that I’m dumb.  I got enough smarts to know that the streets ain’t a place for cocky little girls.”

            “Don is a better fighter than you are and he trusts me when we go topside,” April said.  “I think you’re just scared I might show you up.”

            Their voices had gotten louder and Don heard the door to Master Splinter’s room slide open.  Darting towards the kitchen, Don was out of sight by the time his father and Leonardo stepped out of Master Splinter’s room, both headed towards the dojo.

            Leaning against the wall, Don’s mouth spread into a wide smile and he hugged himself.  One thing he knew about April was that she did not like being treated like a kid and Casey was doing exactly that.  There was no way she would like him after this fight.

            The section of heaven that Don thought had slipped away at the sound of Casey’s voice came back and for the first time in a long while, Don was happy.


	8. 8.  Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 831 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Donatello had one entire stress free day and he enjoyed every minute of it.

            Whatever had occurred after the fight between Casey and April had sent the human boy packing.  Don had no idea if Master Splinter had advised him to leave, or if he’d decided hanging out with a mad April was a bad idea, but Casey was gone and that’s all Don cared about.

            He was doubly thankful that the situation had aggravated Raph enough to where the hot head had apparently forgotten his promise to ‘talk’ to Don.  Raph spent the day moping around the lair and glaring at Leo whenever they were in a room together.  For his part, Leo responded with a smug smile, which no doubt exacerbated Raph’s bad mood.

            What made things doubly nice was that April had chosen to hang out with Don for most of the day.  Because it wasn’t safe for her to leave the lair, her dad was home schooling her to make sure her grades didn’t fall.  April brought her laptop into the lab after her morning training with Master Splinter and stayed in there with Don while he worked on some early warning security system ideas.

            When she’d gotten tired of sitting around, April had asked Don to spar with her a little and the genius had almost fallen all over himself in agreement.  The hour they spent in the dojo was one of the best in Don’s life; it was doubly nice because he’d had a chance to touch April a lot and it was because she’d wanted him to.

            The only slight damper on their time together was that April would periodically bring up Casey’s name in their conversation.  Granted, she railed against the youth at every opportunity, but April was the one who’d start talking about him.  Don would have been ecstatic to forget the guy ever existed.

            Every once in a while during the day, Don had looked up to see Mikey’s cherubic smiling face peering at him.  Now that Don understood that Mikey had a penchant for spying, he knew that look of supreme innocence was just a cover.

            Mikey was information gathering and it slightly unnerved Don to be an unwillingly part of his youngest brother’s entertainment.  It was worse knowing that whatever secrets Mikey managed to acquire, he was slow to divulge.  Having those secrets and playing with them were apparently Mikey’s favorite pastime.

            Dinner had come and gone and for the first time since that morning, Don was alone in his lab.  He’d truly enjoyed April’s company, but having her anywhere nearby tended to divide his concentration.  Don was determined to buckle down and get his security prototypes finished so that he could place them in the sewer tunnels around their home.

            Loud voices in the other part of the lair went mostly unnoticed when they began, after all, Don lived with three brothers.  It was when Leo popped into the lab and called Don’s name in a no nonsense tone of voice that the genius snapped back to reality to follow his oldest brother.

            Don saw that everyone else in the lair was waiting on them when he came out of his lab.  They all appeared to be talking at once and that included Casey Jones.

            Coming to a stop next to Mikey, Don leaned closed and asked, “Wasn’t he asked to leave earlier?”

            Mikey shot him an impish look before saying, “Yeah, but he heard something on the street he thought we needed to know about.”

            “Mr. Jones, please tell Donatello about the information you have gathered,” Master Splinter said sharply, cutting through the noise.

            Casey looked directly at Don, his dark eyes sparking with inner excitement.  “Bunch of guys was standing around on a corner near State and 7th a little while ago.  They said some weird dudes who were all dressed alike asked them if they wanted to make a few bucks.  Of course they wanted to know what they had to do for the money, ‘cause these are guys who are allergic to hard work.  The suits told them they needed help moving some boxes around in the old chemical factory.”

            “They didn’t go?” Don asked.

            “The suits said they didn’t need the guys ‘til eleven.  Sounds pretty bogus to me,” Casey answered.

            “Sounds like the Kraang to me,” Raph said.

            “Leonardo, you and your brothers must explore this situation,” Master Splinter said.

            “And me too,” Casey said quickly.

             Master Splinter gave him a hard look and then nodded.  “You as well Mr. Jones.  Please be alert and remain circumspect.”

            “No problem Master Splinter,” Raph said with his first grin of the day.

            Mikey poked Don in the arm and when he had his brother’s attention asked, “What’s that mean?”

            “It means we should be careful,” Don told him.

            “Oh,” Mikey said.  “Don’t know how we’re gonna manage that with both Raph and Casey along.”

            Don sighed.  “Me either Mikey.”


	9. 9. Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 638 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created for this story by the very talented Dragona15 on DeviantArt.

            April wanted to come with them to check out Casey’s information, but that idea was immediately nixed by everyone.  The Kraang would love to get their hands on her and Shredder would not hesitate to use her again to get at Hamato Yoshi.

            Her look of displeasure didn’t waver even though Don attempted to give her a reassuring smile.  He didn’t doubt for one minute that he’d feel just as much a prisoner if their positions were reversed.

            It was the first time Casey had gotten to ride in the Shellraiser and he spent part of the drive hovering over Raph’s shoulder as his buddy gave him the low down on the weapon’s controls.  Eventually he rolled his chair along the floor tracks until he was next to Don, watching the genius’ fingers fly over his computer keyboard.

            “Don, what can you tell us about the chemical factory?” Leo asked, his eyes focused on the road.

            Trying to ignore Casey’s hot breath on his arm, Don said, “It was abandoned three years ago.  The building was in so much disrepair that they couldn’t pass any of their regulatory inspections.  It’s supposed to be boarded up until the city has the funds to demolish it.  There shouldn’t be anyone inside; it isn’t safe.”

            Raph snorted.  “I don’t think the Kraang care too much about that.”

            “Where am I going, Mikey?” Leo asked.

            Mikey had been watching Don and Casey and spun around quickly in his chair.  “Left in two blocks and then right in three.  That’ll put us right in front of it.”

            “We’re not going to get that close,” Leo said.  “I don’t want the Kraang to know we’re snooping around.”

            “I hope that doesn’t mean this is a recon mission,” Raph said sourly.  “We haven’t smashed any Kraang bots in a week.”

            “If we find some Kraang who need smashing, you can do it,” Leo said good-naturedly.

            “A-team favoritism,” Mikey protested.  “I want to do something too, what can I do?”

            “You can be the bait,” Raph told him with a grin.

            “I’m sick of the Kraang and their experiments,” Casey said suddenly.  “There has to be a way to wipe them all out before they make any more nasty mutants.  No offense guys.”

            “None taken bone head,” Raph responded.  “Why don’t you stop trying to shine Donnie’s shoulder with your breath and gear up; we’re getting close to that building.”

            “Don don’t mind, do you buddy?” Casey asked, resting his hand on Don’s bicep.

            The answer that ran through Don’s head was ‘ _yes Casey I do mind, you’re about to drive me crazy_ ’, but he kept it to himself.  Instead Don pretended to be too busy to have heard the youth in the hopes that Casey would back off and get into his outlandish outfit as Raph had suggested.

            For several minutes Casey didn’t move; leaving his hand on Don’s skin.  Don could feel Casey’s eyes on his face; he could even see a reflection of the boy’s expression in his computer screen as Casey stared at him.  What was even more unnerving was when Casey’s fingers stroked lightly down Don’s arm and then traced back up again before the boy withdrew them.

            As though nothing strange had just occurred, Casey began pulling on his gloves.  Don didn’t dare to turn his head, watching Casey from the corners of his eyes.

            Don had no idea what would drive Casey to feel him up like that, unless the guy was as nuts as Don thought him to be.  Whatever the reason, Don wished Casey would stop messing with him.

            Even without looking, Don could sense Raph’s eyes boring holes into the back of his head.  If his brother wanted to be mad at someone, why didn’t he take it out on Casey?


	10. 10. Breathe Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 947 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the very imaginative Dragona15 on DeviantArt.

            It was only after they parked the Shellraiser and took to the roof tops that Donatello began to feel like he could breathe again.

            The last few minutes of their ride had been stifling.  Don was used to Mikey draping himself over his brothers and invading their personal space – and business – in his quest for entertainment, but it was obvious that Casey didn’t have the same motivation.  Nor was Casey behaving in the same touchy-feely fashion with anyone but him; Casey’s interactions with Raph were all shoving, punching, and lewd jokes.

            Don had no frame of reference for interactions with humans other than the time he spent with April.  For that reason, Don felt that he didn’t have enough data to form a reasonable hypothesis as to why Casey had begun touching him in a manner that could only be deemed as slightly inappropriate.

            Perhaps the human boy was simply curious about his new friends and felt that acquiring information from Don was more viable and less potentially harmful than attempting the same maneuver with Raph.  Don had to admit to a similar desire to touch April’s skin when they’d first met and it wasn’t all because of his attraction to her.

            Maybe that was what Mikey had been trying to tell him when he’d told Don not to lock himself away.  It was possible that Casey felt a need to familiarize himself with their structure so they wouldn’t seem so foreign to him and had chosen Don to be his teacher, albeit unbeknownst to the purple banded turtle.

            That would sort of make sense considering Casey’s distrust of anything mutated by the Kraang.  Mikey hadn’t seemed to take Casey’s odd behavior very seriously and Don wondered if that was because he figured as soon as Casey’s curiosity was satisfied, he’d leave Don alone.

            Leaping from roof top to roof top gave Don breathing room but also allowed him to think more clearly.  Don wasn’t sure he bought into Mikey’s theory, but Casey did appear determined to be close to Don, maybe as close as he was with Raph.  There could be a number of reasons for that; Don’s ability with machines certainly offered Casey an opportunity to further trick out his mutant fighting arsenal.

            Of course, Casey’s actions could have a more insidious and subtle meaning than Don would attribute to the youth’s mental abilities, but it was possible Casey was more intelligent than they’d given him credit for.  As Casey’s greatest competition for April’s affections, it was possible that Casey wanted to get close to Don in order to understand the turtle better.  ‘Keep your friends close but your enemy’s closer’ was a great tactic to employ when two factions had their eye on the same prize.

            Or it could be that Casey knew if he pretended that Don was usurping his time then Raph would think Don was trying to steal his new human friend.  Introducing that type of discord between the brothers would surely lead to arguments and even possible physical altercations meant to show Don in a bad light to April.

            The latter theory seemed the most feasible at the moment because Casey’s actions were certainly getting Don into hot water with Raph.  When this night was over, Don decided _he_ would be the one to initiate a conversation with Raphael rather than wait for the hot head to choose the time and place.

            It was a strategically sound plan, giving Don the benefit of being prepared and also ensuring that April was nowhere within hearing distance.

            Don had just reached his decision when Leo signaled for the team to stop.  Crouching down so that they’d remain unseen, the group surveyed the abandoned chemical warehouse, noting that there were a couple of lights shining through windows on the lowest floor as well as a couple of dimly lit upper floor windows.

            “Other than the lights it looks like no one’s home,” Leo said, his voice low.

            “We aren’t going to know for sure if we keep standing around up here,” Raph told him a trifle impatiently.

            “The Kraang have never needed help from humans to do anything,” Don said.  “Why would they suddenly feel the need to hire a bunch of guys now?”

            “Let’s get closer and find out,” Leo said, drawing the first smile of the night from his brother Raph.  “We’ll split up and go inside the warehouse through the upper windows.  Raph can come with me into the front part of the building; Don, Mikey, and Casey in through the back.”

            Don started to protest that arrangement but Raph and Casey drowned him out.

            “Sounds good to me,” Casey said enthusiastically, practically gluing himself to Don’s side.

            “Me and Case stick together,” Raph growled, glaring at Leo.  “He doesn’t know how Don and Mikey operate yet.”

            Leo stared hard at his brother but the obstinate look on Raph’s face made it obvious that Leo would get no cooperation with his first plan.

            “Fine, you go with Casey and Don while Mikey comes with me,” Leo said.

            Raph nodded grudgingly and walked over to where Casey was standing, mumbling something under his breath.

            “Maybe I should go with you and Mikey,” Don said quickly, not liking the stink eye Raph was giving him.  “These two obviously work better alone.”

            “I don’t want them working alone,” Leo said with a tiny self-satisfied smile on his face.  “You’re going with them to remind them this is a team operation.”

            With that said, Leo tapped Mikey on the shoulder and took off.  Don could only watch them go as a distinct feeling of dread settled over him.


	11. 11. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 877 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            “ _Do you see anything, Raph?_ ” Leo asked.

            Raph held the T-phone close to his head to keep the sound of his brother’s voice muffled.  “Nothing.  The window we came through was crusted over with paint and we had to force it open.  It’s pitch black in here and full of dirt.  We can hear some faint noises coming from below us though, so I guess the action’s all on the first floor.”

            _“This is odd and I don’t like it,”_ Leo said quietly.  _“There’s always an obvious sign that the Kraang have been somewhere, even if it’s just the mess they leave behind.”_

            “Maybe whatever they’re doing don’t require the top floor,” Casey said, his ear practically stuck to Raph’s head so he could hear what was being said.

            _“It’s possible their activities are limited to the bottom part of the building,”_ Leo said musingly.  _“However, we did see light coming through some of the upper windows.”_

            _“Hey Donnie,”_ Mikey’s voice suddenly cut in, _“are you still in one piece?”_

            They heard Leo fussing at his brother in the background.  Standing on the other side of Raph so that he could also hear the conversation and avoid being too near Casey, Don felt embarrassed heat rising into his face.

            Irritated, Don snapped, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

            He immediately regretted asking the question, afraid that Mikey might decide to answer it in front of everyone.  Fortunately, Raph was very single minded in his purpose and refused to be sidetracked by his youngest brother.

            “What’s the plan Leo?  I’m growing old here,” Raph said impatiently.

            _“Don, did you find a copy of the building layout online?”_ Leo asked.

            Leaning closer to the T-phone, Don answered, “Yes, while we were driving.  I committed the floor plans to memory, along with all of the electrical, communication, and water lines.”

            “The building’s abandoned, wouldn’t everything be shut off?” Casey asked.

            Don glanced at him, finding that Casey’s eyes were riveted to his face.  “It should be, but lights seem to indicate that the electricity has been reconnected.  If it’s the Kraang, they’ll want access to a power source.”

            _“If the Kraang are here, we’re going to shut them down,”_ Leo said in his best Captain Ryan impression.

            Raph snorted but restrained himself, simply saying, “How exactly are we going to do that hero boy?”

            _“With the element of surprise,”_ Leo said.  _“Don, I want you to find the electrical room and cut everything off.  Raph, one of you stay with Don and watch his back while the other locates the room on this floor where the light was showing through.  Let’s use our headsets so we can stay in constant communication.”_

            “What are you and Mikey going to do?” Raph asked.

            _“We found the inside stairwell and we’re going down.  All we’ll do is reconnoiter until we hear from you guys.  We’re not rushing into the middle of anything without first finding out what the Kraang are up to.  For all we know, this could be a trap,”_ Leo said.

            “Just so long as you aren’t planning to ‘reconnoiter’ all night,” Raph said sarcastically.

            _“Get going,”_ Leo said.

            “He always plan out everything?” Casey asked as he watched Raph and Don put their headsets on.

            “Yeah,” Raph answered.  “That’s his thing.”

            “Here,” Don said, handing Casey an extra headset.  “Just talk into the mouthpiece when you find the room with the lights.”

            Casey slipped the headset on but said, “Uh-uh, I’m going with you to watch your back.  This is your brother’s operation and I ain’t gonna mess it up by taking off on my own.”

            “Since when is doing stuff by yourself a problem?” Raph asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

            “Since I ain’t used to working with a team,” Casey said with determination.

            Raph glared at him for a moment and then transferred the look to Don before saying, “Fine, we don’t have time to argue about it.  Just make sure you do what Leo said and nothing else.”

            “I’m perfectly capable of following orders,” Don replied sharply.  Surely it had to be obvious even to Raph that this arrangement was none of his doing.

            As Raph left the room, Don heard him muttering something about ‘mister perfect’.  Flashlight in hand, Don took a deep breath and faced Casey.

            “So you got some idea of where we need to go?” Casey asked.

            Don nodded.  “Back outside and to the rear of the building.  There’s a maintenance door on the northwest corner of the building.  Once inside, the electrical room should be ten paces in on the left.”

            Heading to the window, Casey asked, “Wow, ya’ got some memory all right.  How are we getting in that door, we gonna bust it down?”

            Don climbed out of the building and caught the drainage pipe, sliding silently down to the ground.  Casey followed, not as quietly but not loud enough to alert anyone.

            “No,” Don said.  “I’ll pick the lock.”

            Casey slipped up close enough to Don so that the turtle could feel the boy’s body heat.  “Geez Don, is there anything ya’ can’t do?” he asked in a voice filled with admiration.

            Leading the way around the building, Don thought to himself, _“Yes, get rid of you.”_


	12. 12. Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 744 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don was happy to discover that Casey wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept of stealth.  The boy also either instinctively knew not to follow too closely or he’d learned that from Raph.  There would have been nothing worse than having Casey crowding him in the event Don needed to draw his bo staff.

            They reached the outside maintenance door at the same moment that Raph’s voice came through their headsets.

            _“Found the room with the light,”_ Raph whispered.  _“The only thing in here is a floor lamp and some boxes full of jewelry.”_

            Don and Casey exchanged looks and then Don asked, “What kind of jewelry?”

            _“I don’t know, some kind of necklace I guess,”_ Raph answered.

            “Grab a couple of them for me,” Don told him.

            _“This isn’t the time to pick up gifts for your girlfriend,”_ Raph said caustically.

            Don felt his face heat up.  “I want to know why the Kraang are storing necklaces, Raph.  Examining them might give me some kind of clue.”

            There was a second of silence and then Raph said, _“Yeah, okay.  I’m getting them now.  Hey Leo, what’s happening on your end?”_

            Leo’s voice reached them next.  _“Mikey and I are in the loading bay.  There are big boxes stacked everywhere, although all of the ones we checked are empty.  No one’s in here, but there is another room on the far side of the warehouse.  It looks like the Kraang are all there because sometimes a bright light flashes from that area.  Don, have you reached the electrical room yet?”_

            “We’ll be there in about five minutes,” Don assured him.

            _“Good.  Don’t do anything until I give you the go ahead and then cut the power,”_ Leo said.  _“Raph, we’ll be waiting for you to join us at the bottom of the staircase.  If you see anyone along the way, make sure they don’t see you.”_

            “What do Casey and I do after we shut off the power?” Don asked.

            _“Come around the outside of the building to the loading dock.  Be ready for anything.  Out,”_ Leo said.

            Shoving the microphone away from his mouth Don said, “Hold this flashlight so I can see what I’m doing.”

            Casey obediently pointed the pencil light at the door and Don set to picking the lock.  It didn’t take more than two seconds for him to manipulate the tumblers and open the door.

            “You’ll have to teach me that trick,” Casey said appreciatively.

            “Raph knows how,” Don said, keeping his replies short as he retrieved the flashlight from Casey.

            The pencil light was more than enough to see a door along the passageway where the electrical room was supposed to be.  The sign on the door confirmed they’d reached their target and Don aimed the light at the lock.

            “Oh dear,” Don muttered softly.

            “Is there a problem pal?” Casey asked.

            Don took a deep breath and extracted his hand held computer from his belt.  “Nothing major.  This is a key pad lock; I can’t pick it so getting it open will take a little longer.  I can use a light coating of fingerprint powder to bring up the oil from the Kraang’s synthetic skin which will show me the numbers most frequently pressed and then my computer can . . . .”

            His explanation was cut short when Casey’s bat slammed into the lock.  Sparks flew and the door popped open.

            “Why did you do that?” Don asked, horrified.

            “Ya’ needed the door open fast so I opened it,” Casey said with a smug smile.

            A strobe light began flashing on the wall behind them immediately followed by the shrill sound of alarm bells.

            “So much for the element of surprise!” Don exclaimed, darting into the room and locating the power control box.

            _“Don!  Donnie!  What’s happening?”_ Leo called out.

            Lifting the mic into place as he snapped the lock on the control box Don said, “Casey set off the alarm with his bat.  I think insanity runs in his family.”

            _“Turn the power off now!”_ Leo hissed urgently.

            The sound of Kraang lasers firing in the background cut his brother off.  Don grabbed the handle on the main breaker and pulled it down, throwing the room into darkness.

            “Sorry Don!  I was just trying to . . . .” Casey began.

            “Save it!” Don snapped, pushing past him and hurrying towards the outer door.  “We have to go rescue my brothers!”


	13. 13. Misfortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 901   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don could hear the Kraang laser blasters when he was only partway around the building.  Casey kept pace with Don as they ran, a hockey stick replacing the bat he’d used earlier.  The boy’s mask was pulled down over his face and his entire focus was directed towards the fight.

            Rounding a corner of the building, Don saw the door to the loading dock was wide open.  Intermittent flashes of pink from the Kraang weapons lit up the dark interior of the warehouse.

            Stopping just outside the opening, Don pressed his carapace against the wall and tried to get a look inside.  When Casey made as if to pass him, Don swung his arm out and stopped the youth.

            “The fight’s in there,” Casey whispered harshly.

            “Do you want to outline yourself in the door and give the Kraang a target?” Don asked, pointing at the two nearby street lights.  “Hang on.”

            Digging a pair of shuriken from his belt, Don let them fly.  Both hit their targets and the exterior light was extinguished.

            “Follow me.  Inside quick, hug the wall,” Don directed as he slithered around the door frame.

            The sound of something hitting the floor set off another round of laser fire, directed away from the pair.

            _“Is that you, Donnie?”_   Leo’s voice came in over the headset, the turtle leader being careful not to give away their position.

            “Casey and me,” Don whispered.  “Are you guys together?”

            _“Yes, we took out a few of them, but we’re pinned down opposite the loading dock.  They don’t know where we are, but the floor over here is covered in broken glass.  Every time we try to move they hear us and start firing,”_ Leo answered.

            “I’ll create a diversion so you can get out of there,” Don said.  “Just hold on.”

            _“I don’t want out,”_ Raph grumbled in a low voice, _“I want to know what they’re up to.”_

            “One thing at a time bro’,” Don whispered.

            “What are ya’ gonna do?” Casey asked, close enough to Don to feel the turtle’s movements.

            “I have some flash bang poppers I made out of the material inside various fireworks,” Don said.  “The light and sound should distract the Kraang.”

            “And if it don’t?”  Casey leaned closer, peering at the small round objects in Don’s hand.

            Don didn’t bother to answer that, instead saying, “Stay right here.”

            Moving a few paces away from the wall, Don threw the poppers at the spot where he’d seen the laser fire.

            As soon as they hit the ground, the poppers burst into a bright flash, the accompanying bang loud inside the warehouse.  The light from the poppers illuminated that section of the space and at least twenty Kraang bots at the same time.

            It also showed Don several men who’d had the misfortune to be caught in the middle of the fight.  They were crouched near a stack of boxes, their hands over their ears and eyes wide with panic.

            Even though he knew the Kraang would find him, Don shouted, “Run!  Get out of here!”

            The men responded as one, leaping to their feet and dashing for the opening.  At the same time, the Kraang opened fire on Donatello.

            Don saw the men escape as he leaped backwards to avoid the laser blasts.  Suddenly Casey darted past him with a paint can in one hand and a lighter in the other.

            Just as the light from the poppers began to fade, Casey threw his spray can grenade right in the midst of the Kraang.

            The explosion rocked the inside of the warehouse and knocked several of the bots to the floor.  One of their laser blasters caught fire when the flaming paint coated it and overloaded, resulting in an even larger eruption.

            Casey was thrown off his feet and landed near Don just as the other three turtles rushed up to them.

            The front of Casey’s shirt was smoldering and Don dropped to his knees next to him, patting out the flame.

            “Are you all right?  Why did you do that?” Don asked in rapid succession.

            “I said I’d watch your back,” Casey answered with a proud grin.  Coughing, he started to get up but fell back with a groan.

            “You’re hurt,” Don said sharply.

            “My leg,” Casey said, trying to lift the left one.

            “Guys, we need to move,” Leo said in a warning tone.

            “Hang onto me,” Don ordered Casey, sliding an arm under the boy and pulling him up.

            With his arm slung over Don’s shoulder, Casey leaned on the turtle and hobbled out of the warehouse while the others watched for Kraang movement.  Once they were clear, Raph shoved his sais into his belt and took Casey’s other arm so that they could move faster.

            “I can’t believe you did that, it was completely nuts and you got hurt,” Don muttered as they made their way back to the Shellraiser.

            “The misfortune of war,” Casey replied in a cavalier manner, smiling as he studied the side of Don’s face.

            “Misfortunes,” Don automatically corrected.

            “Misfortunes is right,” Raph growled.  “We didn’t find out anything for our troubles.”

            “Maybe we did,” Don said enigmatically.  “Let’s get back home first; I need to patch up Casey’s leg.”

            As they maneuvered their injured friend into the Shellraiser, Don tried to ignore the large smirk that was on Mikey’s face.


	14. 14. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 856   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don had hoped that April would be in bed when they got back to the lair, but he should have known she’d be awake and listening for their return.

            “What happened?” April asked as she rushed across the room.

            Between them, Raph and Don helped Casey to lie back on the couch.  During the ride to the lair, Don had wrapped the wound on Casey’s thigh with his mask in order to stop the bleeding.  Now it needed to be tended to as did the burn on the youth’s chest.

            April hovered nearby watching as Don started peeling Casey’s gear off of him, handing it to Raph for safe keeping.  Glancing up, Don saw the anxious look on April’s face and offered her a reassuring smile.

            Unfortunately, April didn’t see it as her complete focus seemed to be on Casey.

            “You’re bleeding,” April told him unnecessarily, her eyes too wide, the fear in them evident.

            Don’s smile faded as she kneeled next to Casey and reached out to brush a strand of hair from his eyes.

            Casey caught her hand, giving it a squeeze before pushing it away from him.  “Don’t fuss kid, I’ve been hurt worse than this before,” Casey said with a grin.  Looking at Don he asked, “Was that really what the Kraang look like?  I’ve never seen them when they weren’t wearing those matching meat suits.”

            Raph chuckled, standing behind the couch with his arms crossed over his plastron.  “You should see what they look like when you peel them out of the robots,” he said.

            “We need to get you out of your clothes so I can see how bad the leg wound is,” Don said, all business.  “If you were hit by shrapnel from that exploding can I’ve got to make sure some of it isn’t embedded in your leg.  I’ve got to put something on that burn as well, it’s a pretty bad first degree burn but I think we got the fire out before it did too much damage.”

            “I’ll grab the medical supplies,” Leo offered, darting off towards Don’s lab.

            “Maybe we should wake Master Splinter or April’s dad to take care of Casey’s wounds,” Raph said, his eyes narrowing as he watched Don help Casey slip out of his hooded sweatshirt.

            “Nah, Don’s got this, don’t ya’ pal?  I don’t like having grown-ups fussing over me.  Next thing ya’ know they’ll be ordering me around like they do with the kid here,” Casey said, nodding towards April.

            April’s face turned red.  “Maybe you need someone to tell you what to do Casey Jones,” she spat angrily.  “You don’t seem to have enough sense to make good decisions on your own.”

            “Can we book this fight for later?  I’ve gotta slip out of my pants so Don can fix me up and you might want to make yourself scarce.  That is unless ya’ want to know if I wear boxers, briefs, or nothing at all,” Casey said with a smirk.

            Leaping to her feet, April stormed off without another word, much to Don’s relief.

            “You’ve got quite a way with the ladies,” Raph said.

            “What’s going on?” Leo asked, returning with the medical supplies and seeing April stomping away in an obvious huff.

            “Don’s about to undress Casey,” Mikey answered from his spot on the other end of the couch.  With a bright smile he added, “We get to find out if he wears underwear but April doesn’t.”

            Don rolled his eyes as he tugged Casey’s shoes off, but Raph walked over to where his little brother sat and smacked him on the back of the head.

            “Ow!” Mikey shouted.  “What was that for?”

            “General principles,” Raph growled.

            Casey was slowly pulling his undershirt up, trying to work the charred material slowly off of the burned patch of skin with Leo’s help.  Don set Casey’s shoes aside and began sorting through the things in his medical kit.

            “Hey Don, could ya’ help me with my jeans?” Casey asked in a quiet voice.  “I kinda have my hands full at the moment.”

            Don looked up and saw that Casey’s arms were lifted above his head as Leo manipulated his shirt. 

            “Sure,” Don replied.

            With a bit of fumbling, Don managed to work the button loose, and then discovered the joy of thick fingers and a small zipper tab.  After a couple of tries he got a good hold on it and unzipped Casey’s jeans.

            When Don heard Casey groan almost inaudibly he froze and glanced up.  Casey’s head was up, his eyes slightly glazed as he stared at Don.  Both hands clutched at the couch cushions and the boy’s face had reddened.

            “Am I hurting you?” Don asked softly.

            After a second, Casey swallowed and shook his head.  “I’m okay, keep going.”

            Don nodded and began tugging the pants over Casey’s narrow hips.  Behind him Don heard the faintest of laughs from his kid brother and then Mikey whispered, “Yeah, don’t stop now Don.”

            When he was finished taking care of Casey’s wounds, Don decided that he was going to smack Mikey too.


	15. 15. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 878   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don sat in his lab surrounded by complete silence.

            On a makeshift bed in one corner of the lab, Casey rested comfortably.  The decision to move him had been partly Casey’s; he didn’t want the ‘grown-ups’ as he called Master Splinter and Mister O’Neil to know just yet that he’d gotten hurt.

            The fact that he couldn’t leave the lair without any clothes was another part of the reason he was sleeping in the turtle’s home.  He didn’t have clothes because Don refused to let him put them back on.

            With Leo’s assistance, Don had extracted a small fragment of metal from Casey’s thigh, afterwards cleaning and stitching the skin.  It was his first real practical experience as a medic for a human and Don was so excited for the opportunity that he forgot to be nervous.

            During the entire procedure, Casey had never taken his eyes off of Don.  Other than a quick intake of breath during a couple of the more painful moments in the operation, Casey had been very stoic.

            Carefully bandaging the wound when he was done, Don moved on to the burn.  Leo had gently bathed the area with cold compresses and then Don lightly covered the reddened area of skin with gauze, taping it to undamaged skin to hold it in place.

            Don had to admit that he was impressed with Casey’s ability to suffer in silence.  The youth complained about nothing, even complimenting Don on his bedside manner.  As Don worked, he thought about what Casey had done back in the warehouse.  Darting out of hiding with a paint grenade in order to save Don had been . . . noble. 

            It was the best word Don could come up with and it seemed fitting.  As annoyed as Don was with Casey’s presence most of the time, the boy was certainly a capable warrior in a fight.  Casey had told the brothers that he would protect Donatello and he had proven to be a person of his word.

            Don had to admit to a grudging admiration for the guy, even if he was a little nuts.  It was no wonder that Raph and the human had hit it off so quickly.  They were two of a kind.

            While Don was working on Casey’s wounds, Raph had gathered the boy’s gear together, checking to make sure nothing had been damaged.  At Don’s suggestion, Leo had gone to ask April if she had any pain relievers.  He figured that since Leo hadn’t been in the room during her dust up with Casey, then he’d be the one least likely to earn her ire at the request.

            Even Mikey had found something useful to do, going to the kitchen to make some noodle soup and a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches for Casey.  He was pretty happy to show off his newest culinary skills and even happier when Casey had devoured every bit of it.

            After downing a couple of aspirins and his snack, Casey had declared himself ready to go home.  That was when Don had put his foot down and said that he needed to monitor the wounds and that Casey didn’t need to put clothes on top of the injuries just yet, especially the burn.

            Don had been ready for an argument, but Casey had surprised him and acquiesced, his only request was that he not be left practically naked on the couch out in the open where everyone could see him.  Leo suggested that they fix up some cushions and blankets on the floor in Don’s lab and that’s how the boy had wound up sleeping only a few feet away.

            It had actually worked out well; Raph had turned over the necklaces he’d swiped to Don and the genius turtle finally had a chance to examine them.  He could work on that and keep an eye on Casey too.

            A faint sound broke the silence and Don turned his head to make sure Casey was all right.  That’s when he spotted April standing near Casey’s bed, looking down at him.

            She must have seen Don’s movement from the corner of her eye, because she looked up at him.  They stared at one another for a couple of seconds and then she walked over to where Don sat.

            “Is he okay?” April asked in a soft voice.

            “He’ll be fine,” Don told her.  “A few stitches and a first degree burn.  I don’t have a basis for comparison because my brothers and I heal very quickly, but I doubt if he’ll really notice either of those wounds in a couple of days.”

            “I was harsh, wasn’t I?” April asked, her eyes searching his.

            Don felt a twinge of jealousy and fought it down.  “You were just worried about him.”

            “I was worried about all of you,” April emphasized.

            His mouth suddenly dry, Don smiled and then shyly looked back towards the jewelry lined up on his table.  A comfortable silence fell between them as Don began his examination of the necklaces with April quietly watching him work.

            Maybe she had only come because she wanted to check on Casey, but Don could handle that as long as April wound up spending time with him instead.


	16. 16. Questioning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 965   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            “Don?”

            With a start Don lifted his head from his arms and blinked a few times to clear his vision.  Looking towards the door of his lab he saw Leo walking in his direction.  A glance over his shoulder showed him that Casey was still sleeping.

            “What time is it?” Don asked wearily, rubbing his eyes.

            “After four a.m.,” Leo answered, coming to a stop next to Don’s table.  Looking past his brother, Leo asked, “Any problems with Casey?”

            “No, he’s been asleep the entire time,” Don said.

            Leo’s eyes met Don’s, his brow furrowing slightly.  “Have you been in here with him all night?”

            Nodding, Don said, “What there was left of it.  April kept me company for a little while.”  Don flushed a little at this admission, both embarrassed and proud of the fact.

            Leo smiled his understanding and then gestured towards the array of tiny parts strewn across the table in front of Don.  “What is all this?”

            Don straightened in his chair.  “These are the components of the jewelry that Raph grabbed for me,” he said with animation.  “It’s completely fascinating.  This isn’t jewelry at all; it’s a very sophisticated miniature spy camera.  The device gives someone the ability to see, hear and record anything within range of the wearer.

            “Do you see the different sized chains?  According to the information I found on the internet, men prefer a thicker chain for their neck wear as opposed to the delicate chains preferred by women.  Raph grabbed a couple of each kind and that tells me the necklaces were meant for both genders.”

            “How is that significant?” Leo asked.

            “Look at the clasp,” Don said as he lifted one of the chains.  “Remember the device we pulled off of Mr. O’Neil’s neck?  I compared the pieces and confirmed that the clasp snaps directly into the mind control device.  I think the Kraang are grabbing people and putting both the mind control component and the spy camera on them.  I noticed that all of the men we rescued from the warehouse were wearing necklaces just like these.”

            “Recruiting spies,” Leo mused, his agile mind jumping ahead.  “That’s why they set up that false business.  The more people they can turn into drones, the better their chances of finding April and us.”

            “It isn’t just that,” Don said.  “Think of all the things they can learn by having their spies infiltrate every aspect of life on Earth.  The Kraang and their look alike bodies don’t fit in right now but imagine what could happen once they learn how.”

            “We have to find a way to stop them,” Leo said.  “Any ideas?”

            “A few.  I need time to work on them.  The first thing I have to do is find a way to block the camera signal from each of these remote devices.  It needs to be something we can wear or carry in our belts so that our hands are free in case we have to fight,” Don said.  “The range will be limited because of size constraints, but I’m sure I can make them strong enough to work within a half mile radius.”

            “Fashion one for April, Mr. O’Neil, and Casey as well,” Leo said.  “We don’t need for any of them to be followed to our home, or for the O’Neil’s to be kidnapped again.”

            A soft snore interrupted their conversation and both brothers looked over at Casey.  The boy had rolled onto his side but was still asleep.

            After a couple of minutes, Don said in a low voice, “It’s okay, we didn’t wake him.  He’s a heavy sleeper.”

            Leo was frowning, his eyes still on Casey.  “Don, when you were with Raph and Casey, did either of them do or say anything that was unusual?”

            “Unusual how?” Don asked.

            “In their interactions with each other,” Leo said, looking at Don once more.

            Not sure where Leo was going with his line of questioning, Don slowly answered, “No, they behaved exactly the way they do when they’re together here.  Raph seemed peeved at having to leave us but I think that was just because Casey insisted on watching my back.”

            “Raph didn’t want to separate?” Leo asked, his eyes narrowing.

            “I think he was afraid he’d miss out on some action,” Don said with a short laugh.  “Those two are very much alike; hit things first and don’t bother with any questions.”

            Leo didn’t appear to find that humorous.  “They could get themselves into a lot of trouble that way,” he said with slow deliberation.  “It might be best to monitor them.”

            “Monitor how?” Don asked, a sense of unease settling in his stomach.  “Raph will resent it if you interfere in his friendship with Casey.”

            “Then we’ll just have to be subtle in how we go about it,” Leo said with a sly smile.

            “W . . . we?” Don stuttered, the weight in his gut suddenly ten times heavier.

            “Raph’s your brother too,” Leo said smoothly.  “For his own safety I think you should spend as much time as possible with Casey.  He already seems as interested in hanging out with you as he does with Raph.  The more frequently those two are grounded here by choice, the less likely they’ll get each other killed.”

            “But . . . but I . . . .” Don began.

            Leo clapped him on the shoulder and said brightly, “I know you’re a team player, Don.  I can always count on you.”

            Before Don had a chance to protest, Leo was gone.  Staring at his work table with unseeing eyes, Don replayed the conversation with his oldest brother in his mind.

            The more he thought about it, the more Don came to believe he’d just been manipulated.


	17. 17. Bloody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1000   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don shuffled the components of the mini spy cameras around on the table, but rather than working on a signal jammer, his mind was toying with the conversation he’d just had with Leo.

            His brother had maneuvered Don into quite possibly the most awkward position of his entire young life.  If Leo was really worried about the influence Casey had on Raph, he should have taken it up with Master Splinter.  Their father was quite astute and he allowed Raph to hang out unsupervised with his new best friend.  Who was Leo to say that there was anything wrong with that?

            If anything, Don felt he was already being subjected to too much of Casey’s company.  The guy was obviously trying to insinuate himself between Don and April so that he could alienate April’s affections.  Don had worked very hard to be the one that April sought out when she needed anything and he was making headway too, until Casey came along.

            Don had no illusions about why Casey had purposely chased April off as Don was about to work on his injuries.  Casey just didn’t want April to see him looking weak.

            Of course, if he had to be completely honest, Casey had shown a lot of self-control while Don operated.  He’d mostly just stared at Don.  Whenever the purple banded turtle looked up, Casey smiled at him in a way that made Don a little flustered.

            Shaking his head, Don switched off the desk lamp, suddenly feeling rebellious.  He had time for a couple of hours sleep in his own bed and Casey appeared to be just fine.  Don had no intention of becoming a wedge between Raph and Casey as Leo had requested.  Despite what Leo seemed to believe, Donatello was not a pushover.

            Don had just risen from his chair when a low groan caught his attention and he turned to see Casey sitting up.

            “Hey Don,” Casey called to him.  “How long was I out?”

            Walking over, Don squatted next to Casey’s makeshift bed.  “Several hours.  Do you feel all right?”

            “Sure, why wouldn’t I after that great patch job ya’ did on me?” Casey said, grinning.  “Say, how bloody are my jeans?  I don’t want my mom to start asking questions.  Holes ain’t something she’ll think twice about, but blood is a whole other problem.”

            “Not as bloody as they were,” Don answered.  “April knew a trick for getting blood out of clothes.  She soaked the stain in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and it drew the blood right out of the material.  They’re too wet for you to wear though.”

            “She’s a good kid,” Casey said, deeply thoughtful.  “Smart too.  Ain’t right she can’t live a normal life like other girls her age.  Lot of things ain’t right since the Kraang showed up.”

            Don swallowed thickly, moved by the expression on Casey’s face.  He’d known that Casey hated mutants and the aliens responsible for creating so many of them, but he’d never seen how deep that resentment was until now.

            “We’ll get rid of them,” Don said with as much assurance as he could muster.  “Don’t worry about April; she’s safe here and she isn’t missing out on any of her studies.”

            Casey looked into Don’s eyes.  “I ain’t bashing on you guys, Donny.  You’re the only good that’s come out of this mess.  A lot of things just seem unfair and I ain’t the most patient guy in the world when it comes to waiting on stuff.”

            It felt like a hand had started to squeeze his heart, but Don managed to calmly say, “April is pretty special.”

            For a second there was a confused look on Casey’s face before it smoothed out.  “You kind of like her, don’t ya’?”

            “Well y . . . yes, she . . . she’s my best friend,” Don stuttered.  He wanted to tell Casey ‘hands off, she’s my girl’ but was afraid Casey would throw that in April’s face and she would not only deny it, but be angry with Don for saying so.

            Casey seemed to contemplate that answer and then said, “I wanna be your friend too, Donny.  Sometimes I feel like ya’ don’t want me around.”

            Don’s face heated with embarrassment.  “It isn’t that,” he protested quickly.  “It’s just that you and Raph are tight and we don’t have all that many human friends.  I don’t want my bro’ thinking I’m trying to steal his.”

            Brow furrowing, Casey said, “You guys really don’t know a lot about having friends, do ya’?  Ya’ ain’t got to limit yourself to just one.  I consider all of you guys to be friends, but I hang out with Raph ‘cause we got a lot in common.”

            Don chuckled uneasily.  “That concept of multiple friends is pretty new to Raph, so maybe you could ease him into the idea.”

            “Anything ya’ need Don,” Casey said.  He reached out and placed a hand on top of Don’s.  “Ya’ know, I want us ta be a different kind of friend than what I am with the others.  Do ya’ get my meaning?”

            Casey’s words were barely registering as Don felt the heat from the human boy’s hand seep into his skin.  Rather than answer, Don leaned forward and touched the back of his free hand to Casey’s forehead.

            “You’re hot,” Don said.

            Grinning, Casey said, “Glad ya’ think so.”  He started to lift his wounded leg and then groaned.

            “Have you had a tetanus shot lately?” Don asked anxiously, remembering some of the things he’d looked up on the internet.

            “Yeah, a few months ago,” Casey said.

            “Lie down,” Don instructed in a no-nonsense tone of voice.  “I think your wound is infected.  I’ve got to take care of that quickly.”

            Casey did as Don asked, his eyes never leaving the turtle.  “I ain’t worried.  I know I’m in good hands.”

            Don wished he felt as confident about that as Casey appeared to be.


	18. 18. Rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 999   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            “Are you sure this medication will work?” Don asked worriedly, looking at the rainbow of colors arrayed before him in the form of pills, medicine bottles, and medical supplies.  He was sitting cross legged on the floor near Casey.

            Mr. O’Neil, who was squatting next to him, chuckled and set a calming hand on Don’s shoulder.  “Yes Donatello, I’m sure.  It’s lucky I can write prescriptions for the antibiotics and pain killers Casey needs, because I don’t know if our stubborn young friend here would have gone to a doctor.”

            “Donnie’s better than any doctor,” Casey slurred sleepily, his eyes closed.

            “Yeah, I’m so good I let you get an infection,” Don said morosely.

            “Donatello,” Mr. O’Neil said, his serious tone getting Don’s attention.  “I watched a lot of doctors and surgeons when I did my hospital rotations.  Some of the best of them work in the emergency room and I can honestly say your skill stacks right up there with them.  From what I understand you took charge immediately and handled this situation with calm assurance, doing exactly what needed to be done.  I’ve never seen a finer line of stitches in my life.”

            “But then why . . . ?” Don began.

            “Because stuff happens,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “Even in the cleanest of environments people get sick and living down here gives you a major handicap in that regard.  Casey’s jeans could have been covered in bacteria from slogging around in the sewers with Raphael or that shrapnel that hit him might have been dirty.  Casey will be fine and he’s right to have such confidence in you.  I’m impressed with your skill and knowledge and so is April and your family.”

            Don felt the heat rising in his cheeks.  “She is?” he asked and then quickly said, “I m . . . mean, they are?”

            Mr. O’Neil smiled and patted his shoulder.  “Yes she is.  Look, I have an idea for a project we can do together.  The space you use for a lab is large; why don’t we cordon off a section of it and turn that into a proper sick bay?  Hopefully you won’t ever need it again, but if you do, it will be a much cleaner environment for you to work in and your supplies will be within reach.”

            The idea perked Donnie right up, his mind already picturing exactly how he wanted to arrange things.

            “Gosh Mr. O’Neil, that would be great,” Don said.

            “We’ll get April to pitch in as well,” Mr. O’Neil said with a wink.  “Someday she might want to be a doctor and this would be a good experience for her.”

            He walked away before a flustered Don could answer.  Watching through the open lab door as Mr. O’Neil joined Master Splinter who was on his way to the kitchen, it was all Don could do to suppress a chortle of delight.

            “I could help too,” Casey said, his low voice snapping Don out of a pleasant daydream that had Mr. O’Neil giving the turtle April’s hand in marriage.

            Looking down at his patient, Don saw that Casey’s eyes were fixed on him, an unfathomable expression on the boy’s face.

            “Of . . . of course,” Don stammered, unnerved by the intensity of Casey’s gaze.

            “Ya’ ain’t gotta always do everything by yourself, Donnie,” Casey told him.

            Don glanced away, his hand nervously rearranging the bottles near his patient.  “You have to get better first.  I mean . . . you don’t have to help unless you really want to.  Don’t . . . don’t do anything just because you think you owe . . . .”

            His sentence was cut off when Casey reached out and grabbed his hand in a strong grip.  Forced to look up, Don once more found himself embarrassed by the way Casey’s eyes held his.

            “Anything ya’ need,” Casey said.  “I already told ya’ that.  All ya’ gotta do is ask.”

            Don’s mouth opened and then closed.  He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to answer.  Fixing Casey’s wounds had been a necessary task and Don had been the only one qualified for the job.  He didn’t want Casey to have a feeling of obligation to him because of that.

            As Don tried to think of the best way to discuss that with Casey, they were interrupted.

            “Hey guys, lunch is served,” April said from the doorway.

            Don slipped his hand free quickly, hoping that April hadn’t seen Casey holding it.  She seemed a little out of sorts; almost shy as she carried a tray of food over to Casey’s makeshift sick bed.

            April seated herself on the floor next to the bed as Don moved over to make room.  Easing the box of assorted medicines further to the side, she placed the tray on the floor and handed Don a plate containing a large sandwich.

            “Thank you,” Don said, smiling brightly at her, touched by the gesture.

            “Master Splinter says you have a habit of forgetting to eat when you’re really busy,” April told him.  Turning her attention to Casey, she said in a lightly scolding tone, “You need to eat something too so you can keep your strength up.”

            “Later,” Casey said, sounding testy.  “I’m too sleepy right now.”

            “Sleep after,” April said in a more determined voice, shoving an extra pillow under Casey’s shoulders to help him sit up.

            She didn’t see the cranky expression on his face as she turned to get the bowl of soup she’d brought.  Holding a spoonful up to his lips she ordered, “Open.”

            “I can feed myself,” Casey growled.

            “You can hardly move,” April said.  “The sooner you stop arguing with me the sooner you can go back to sleep.”

            Don watched as Casey gave in with a snort.  The first spoonful of soup was swiftly followed by another.

            At some point during their little meal Don began to wish he’d been the one who’d gotten injured.


	19. 19. Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 656   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Because Casey wanted to hear what Don had discovered regarding the necklaces they’d stolen from the Kraang, Don had everyone gather in his lab so he could present his findings.

            Don wasn’t keen on exciting the boy who he felt needed to rest, but when Casey had insisted, April had backed him up.  Arguing with an injured Casey was hard enough, but Don was no match for their combined forces.

            The phrase ‘combined forces’ when referencing action taken by Casey and April wasn’t one Don liked much, but there was no denying the fact that they’d ganged up on him in the matter.  Things had been so much better when those two couldn’t stand to be around each other.

            Explaining everything while in the lab turned out to be for the best because Don could show his audience the components he’d removed from the necklaces.  Since he still had the mind control device that they’d pulled off of Mr. O’Neil, Don was able to demonstrate how the necklace clasp snapped into the device.

            He passed one of the necklaces around so that everyone could get a good close look at it.  Thousands of people wore necklaces and Don wanted to make sure his family, the O’Neil’s, and Casey could identify those citizens who had already been ‘recruited’.

            “What you’re saying is that people wearing these things could go about their business like normal and still be feeding information to the Kraang,” Raph said, eyeballing the necklace he was holding.

            “Right,” Don told him.  “If the Kraang see or hear something they want to know more about, they activate the mind control device.”

            “So then they become pod people,” Mikey said in his best sepulchral voice.  “If they see one of us, are they gonna point and scream?”

            “Maybe,” Raph said, a mischievous look appearing in his eyes.  “One good look at your face would make anybody do that.”

            “Pod people?” April asked Don in a low voice.  She was seated on a cushion on the floor next to Casey, with Don on a chair near her.

            Don turned and leaned over, happy to have an excuse to get closer to the girl.  “Mikey watches a lot of late night horror movies.  Before pod people it was little gray men invading the sewers.”

            April giggled.  “Except for the color gray, he wasn’t too far off.”

            “Don is going to make something for each of us to wear that will block the signal from those mini cameras,” Leo said.

            “I already started,” Don said, lifting his arm to show them the cheap watch that was strapped to his wrist.  “This is just a prototype I’m testing; the finished models won’t be ready until I find out how much wear and tear these can take.”

            “Once they’re ready, no one leaves the lair without theirs,” Leo said.  “If something happens to yours and it stops working, try to find someplace to hide and call in for help.  Whatever you do, don’t take chances on leading anyone back to the lair.  We have no idea how many spies the Kraang have already created.”

            “Are they that desperate to capture April again?” Mr. O’Neil asked worriedly.

            “They want all of us,” Don said.  “Shredder is working with them and he wants Master Splinter.  Both Shredder and the Kraang want us out of the way so we can’t interfere with their plans anymore, likewise for Casey.  They want Mr. O’Neil because he’s the first person who was mutated and then cured.”

            “And they want Donny ‘cause he’s the only who knows how to use April’s blood to create that cure,” Casey added.  “We can’t let him or April go anyplace by themselves or together.”

            “Agreed,” Leo said.

            Don wasn’t sure what upset him the most; that alone time with April was going to be almost impossible now, or that Casey was the one who’d made the suggestion.


	20. 20. Fortitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 974   
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Disgruntled was probably the mildest word Don could come up with for the way he was feeling.

            He was just beginning to put his relationship with April back together again and now, thanks to Casey’s big mouth, spending quality time with her was going to be difficult.

            On top of that, thanks to Don’s own bright idea, Casey was bedded down in his lab.  Since Don’s number one priority was to perfect signal jamming devices for everyone to wear, he was stuck in the same room with the guy.

            The area around Casey’s leg wound had gotten swollen and turned an ugly reddish color; thin streaks of red radiating out in all directions.  His fever had gotten fairly high a couple of times and Don had resorted to sponging cool water onto Casey’s body.

            Casey had stared up at him every time Don came over to minister to the youth, his eyes slightly glazed but his expression grateful.  On one occasion it seemed that Casey wanted to tell him something, but the words all ran together and made no sense.

            Although April had offered to help, Don didn’t feel it was appropriate for her to be giving Casey a sponge bath.  She had tried to argue with him that seeing a boy’s chest wasn’t going to do her irreparable damage, but for once Don was adamant.  April might have continued to push the issue, but Don had offered to let her father make the final decision.

            She wasn’t highly pleased about that, but conceded the point.  Fearing that he’d now placed himself into a bad light again, Don told her that Casey still needed to eat and would require help doing so.  That seemed to placate her and April made it her mission to bring some food to Casey every couple of hours.  The bonus was that she made sure that Don was eating as well.

            Don had to admit that Casey had a great deal of fortitude; no matter how badly he might be feeling he accepted Don’s ministrations without a complaint.  After many long hours, a lot of medicine, and hands on care, Casey was starting to look better.

            None of that lessened Don’s peevishness at the moment.  In the last couple of days he’d had no time alone with April; even with Casey sound asleep on the other side of the lab his presence still loomed over their conversations.

            April had finished giving Casey his dinner a bit earlier while Don was sitting at his work table surrounded by components small enough to require the use of tweezers.  Don knew Casey had eaten because April hadn’t fussed at him.  After she’d gone, silence had fallen on the lab and Don supposed that Casey was asleep.

            That was why he jumped when Casey said, “Hey Donnie, can I talk to ya’ for a minute?”

            Carefully setting aside his tools, Don hopped off his stool and walked over to Casey’s makeshift bed, squatting down next to it.

            “Are you okay?  Do you need something?” Don asked worriedly.

            “Yeah I do and I hate asking ya’,” Casey said, looking up at the turtle.  “I’d leave it but it’s important.  It’s about my Ma.”

            “Your Ma?  Oh, your mother,” Don said.  “I’m so sorry Casey!  I didn’t even think about how your family might be worrying about you.”

            Casey lifted a hand to stop Don’s apology.  “Don’t sweat it pal.  Ma and I have an easygoing kind of relationship.  She works two or three jobs; I go to school and do my neighborhood watch thing, so we don’t see each other a lot.  Most weeks we might spot each other in passing a couple times.  We got this thing we do though, just to ease our minds that we’re both okay.  We leave notes on the fridge for each other.”

            His face turned a little red when he said that and Donnie felt himself smiling in response.  It was obvious that Casey cared about his mother and seeing this softer side of the boy’s personality was enlightening.

            “You really shouldn’t attempt to go anywhere yet,” Don reminded him.  “Trying to walk on that leg isn’t such a good idea.”

            “I already figured that out for myself,” Casey said.  “What would I wear anyway?  My shirts are burned up and my jeans have a big hole in them.  I can’t borrow anything from Mr. O’Neil.  If Ma happens to be home when I come in, I don’t want her to see me half naked or wearing some grown man’s clothes.  That would freak her right out.”

            Don nodded.  “I see your point.  What do you need me to do?”

            “Somebody has got to get into my apartment, go to my room and get me some fresh clothes,” Casey said.  “They’ve gotta leave a note on the fridge for Ma so she doesn’t start to worry.  I figured since you’re a ninja, ya’ could easily pull that off without being seen.”

            Rubbing the back of his neck, Don said, “You’re forgetting one thing; I’m not supposed to go anywhere alone.”

            “Yeah, I know,” Casey acknowledged.  “That’s why I figured Raph could go with ya’.  He knows where my place is.”

            Don opened his mouth and then closed it before his protest could slip out.  There was no way he was going to bring up the difficulties he and Raph had been having, since Casey was apparently at the center of that problem.

            The look on Casey’s face was almost pleading and Don wondered what crazy stunt the guy would pull if Don refused.

            Even while he was trying to think of an alternative solution, Don’s mouth opened and he blurted out, “Okay, we’ll do it.”

            Casey’s broad smile didn’t erase the unease Don felt at having to ask Raph for his help.


	21. 21. Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 993 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            The sound of the pinball machine drew Don directly to where he could find Raphael.

            From the corner of his eye he could see Leo seated on the floor in front of the television and Mikey sprawled upside down on the couch, an open comic book in front of his face.  With a fervent wish that both of them would stay where they were, he went over to stand next to the backbox.

            “Hey,” Don said cautiously, watching Raph’s facial expressions closely.

            “Back at you,” Raph said without looking up.  His body rocked from side to side as he practically punched the flipper buttons.

            “Good score,” Don said, peeking at the number on the display panel.

            “Blasted past Leo’s best ten minutes ago,” Raph said with a satisfied smirk.

            Don breathed an inward sigh of relief.  Beating Leo at anything always put the hot head in a better frame of mind.

            He waited a couple of minutes, his eyes more on Raph’s face than on the game.  Finally Don said, “So, um, I need you to help me with something.”

            “Grab Mikey or Leo, they ain’t doing anything,” Raph said with only a hint of aggravation.  “Better yet, just go drag Leo away from that brain rotting show he’s stuck on.”

            “I can’t,” Don said.  “It has to be you and it sort of needs to be a secret.”

            That got Raph’s attention.  He looked up at Don, losing his pinball in the process.  The sound made his head jerk down, his lips tightening when he saw his game was over.

            “This better be good Einstein,” Raph said, his tone menacing.

            “Casey said he’s been gone from home for too long and his mom’s going to start worrying about him,” Don said in a rush.  “He can’t go running around yet and anyway he doesn’t want her to know he’s hurt, which she’d see if he went home.”

            “So tell him to call her,” Raph said.  “How hard was that to figure out?”

            “He also needs some clothes,” Don explained.  “His own clothes, so his mom doesn’t start asking questions when she does see him.”

            “What am I supposed to do about that, play fetch?” Raph asked, starting to get belligerent.

            “Yes, sort of,” Don said.  “I mean, he told me what to get and where to find things, but he says you know where his room is and how to get inside without being seen.  I’ve got to have someone watch my shell since I’m not supposed to go anywhere alone.”

            Raph had begun to look like he was going to say no, but at the words ‘watch my shell’ his eyes started to gleam instead.

            “I guess that’s better than sitting around here all night,” Raph said in an off-hand manner.

            “Straight there and back,” Don reminded him.  “We don’t know how many spies the Kraang have created and I’ve only got the one signal jamming device.”

            “Yeah, yeah, no fights, no fun,” Raph said impatiently.  “How are we gonna sneak out of here?”

            “Through the side door in my lab,” Don said.  “Everyone will think you’re paying Casey a visit and that I’m still working on making more signal jammers.  Casey said he’ll cover for us.”

            Raph stared at him, his expression flat.  “’Casey said this, Casey asked that’,” he said in a mocking tone.  “You’re getting kind of tight there with _my_ friend, ain’t you Donnie?”

            Don’s eyes widened and he glanced over at his other brothers to make sure they hadn’t heard Raph’s slightly elevated voice.  Neither of them was looking in their direction.

            “The guy’s in my lab where I’m working,” Don answered, being distinctly clear.  “He woke up worried about his mother and since I was the only one in the room, I was the one he talked to about it.  If you want him to ask you things, then I suggest you come in there and give him his sponge baths.  It isn’t as though taking care of him is a vacation.”

            “Okay, don’t get your shell in a bunch,” Raph said, looking over at Master Splinter’s door.

            Don knew exactly what he was thinking; their father would sense any discord between them and come out to see what was wrong.  That would be the end of their excursion.

            “It’s dark enough to go out now,” Don said in a lower voice.  “Let’s get it over with.”

            “Fine by me,” Raph said.  “We can finish our talk once we’re out of here.”

            Raph stepped away from the pinball machine and crossed the lair with Don, both of them behaving as normally as possible.  As they were passing through the lab door, Donnie thought he caught a glimpse of some movement by his younger brother.  When he looked back though, Mikey was in exactly the same position as before.

            Casey was dozing when they came in but his eyes snapped open as soon as the brother’s drew near.

            “Don told me what you needed,” Raph said.  “We’re gonna go take care of that right now.”

            “Thanks pal,” Casey told him.  “Don’t get into anything without me.”

            “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Raph said with a grin.

            Casey lifted a hand towards Don, a folded piece of paper between his fingers.  “Here, put this under a magnet on the fridge door.  It’ll keep Ma off my case for a couple of days.”

            Don took the note and tucked it into his belt.  “If anyone comes in and sees we aren’t here, tell them we took a walk along the tracks to look for a loose rail.”

            “No problem,” Casey said.

            Raph preceded Don out of the side door.  When Don turned to push the door closed behind them, he saw April come into the lab and Casey lift his hand in greeting.

            It was then Don wondered if he was falling for an elaborate trick designed to get him out of the way.


	22. 22. Mother Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 978 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don only had a vague idea of where they were going, but Raph leaped from roof to roof with practiced ease.

            The area they were in was an older part of the city filled with apartment complexes and tenements that had seen better days.  Normally there would have been a lot of kids out on the steps or in the streets, but clouds had started to move in and the smell of rain was in the air.

            Raph hadn’t said a word since leaving the lair and Don was just fine with that.  He had other things to think about, such as the scene he had witnessed as he was leaving the lair.

            In some ways, it didn’t make sense.  Casey was, as far as Don could tell, a pretty straight forward person.  He always said what he thought, even if it meant a punch from Raph or a tongue lashing from April.  The punches he returned and in a war of words he could certainly take care of himself.

            Don thought that if Casey wanted a private conversation with April, he would just ask Don to leave the room.  As far as Don knew, Casey thought that Don and April were only friends.  Heck, Donnie had told Casey that himself.

            As much as Don hated to go there, he had to ask himself if it was possible that April had set up this situation.  She spent a lot of time with Casey when she was feeding him, surely she would have thought to ask about his mother.  Having advanced knowledge that Casey would ask Don to go get his things, all April would need to do was watch for when Don and Raph went somewhere together.

            Maybe it didn’t mean anything, Don told himself.  Maybe she was just checking on Casey like she’d been doing and it was just a coincidence that she walked in as Don and Raph were leaving.  Maybe . . . .

            “We’re here,” Raph said in a low voice.

            Here was an eight floor walkup bordered on two sides by shorter buildings and behind by the blank brick wall of a cleaning supply company.  It was the perfect location to live for a guy who played vigilante by night and didn’t want to be seen coming and going.

            “Which one is Casey’s?” Don asked.

            “Top corner there,” Raph answered, pointing to a window below them.  “Come on; there’s no light showing from inside, so his mom isn’t home yet.”

            Don hopped off the roof, following Raph onto the fire escape.  While Raph slid the window open, Don kept a lookout.  It wouldn’t do for one of the adjoining neighbors to come out for a look at the sky and see a couple of breaking and entering mutants instead.

            As Don stepped over the sill behind Raph, his brother was turning on a small bedside lamp for them to see by.  At first glance, Don thought he’d somehow walked into Mikey’s room instead of Casey’s.

            There were fight posters, movie posters, and band posters covering almost every square inch of his walls.  The floor was strewn with clothes, model car parts, bicycle parts, and a bunch of free weights.  There were food wrappers and boxes on top of Casey’s bedside table and his desk, a beat up desk top computer sandwiched between the junk.

            Raph came over and nudged Don, snapping him out of his perusal.  “What are we supposed to get?”

            “He told me where to find his clean clothes and a couple of books he needs for school.  He said we should make some room in his backpack for the stuff, ” Don said.

            “Got the backpack,” Raph said, hauling the battered pack out from under Casey’s bed.

            He proceeded to unzip the pack and upturn the contents onto the bed, shaking it for good measure to make sure everything was out.

            Don shot him a dark look.  “You aren’t just going to leave that mess lying there, are you?”

            “Look around the room, Donnie,” Raph said, waving his hand for emphasis.  “If I leave this stuff in a pretty pile on Casey’s desk his mom is going to know someone besides Casey was in here.  Casey is never neat.”

            “You know him pretty well, huh?” Don asked, grabbing a couple of shirts, sweatshirts, and jeans off hangers in Casey’s closet before rummaging in a small chest of drawers for clean underwear and socks.

            “Yeah, I know him,” Raph said.  “Question is, how well are you trying to know him?”

            “I’m not,” Don said emphatically, handing the clothes to Raph, who stuffed them unceremoniously into the pack.  “In case you hadn’t noticed, he attached himself to me like a leech.  If it bothers you, why don’t you get him to tell you what he wants so I can make it for him and get him off my back?”

            “You’re so full of . . . .” Raph began when a sound stopped him mid-sentence.

            The front door of the apartment slammed shut and Don darted over to turn the light off.  Grabbing the backpack, Raph shoved Don towards the closet.

            It was a tight fit but they made it and even managed to shut the door.  In another second they heard the television come on.

            “I still have to leave Casey’s note on the refrigerator,” Don whispered.

            “You should have done that first,” Raph whispered back.  “Maybe we’ll catch a break and she’ll go take a shower or something.”

            Through the slats in the door, Don saw a flash of lightening brighten the bedroom.  It was followed quickly by a boom of thunder loud enough to shake the pane of window glass.

            Don had his doubts about them having any kind of luck tonight, considering that even Mother Nature seemed to be conspiring against them.


	23. 23. Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 896 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Don listened carefully to the sounds coming from the other room.  He didn’t know the layout of the apartment but from what he’d heard so far, the person he assumed was Casey’s mother was still in the room where the television was located.

            “Where’s the kitchen?” Don asked.

            “Out the door, past the bathroom and on your right,” Raph answered in a low voice.  “I guess your new pal didn’t get a chance to bring you here yet.”

            Despite their predicament, Don found that Raph’s obstinance was starting to grate on his nerves.  “What is your problem?” Don hissed at him.

            He felt Raph shift in the closet so that he was facing Don.  The lightening flashed again, highlighting the gleam in Raph’s green eyes.

            “You are,” Raph answered, his voice a low growl.  “All this stuff about how Casey’s hanging off your shell just to get you to build something for him.  Could be the truth is you’re dangling your fancy tecno gizmos in front of his nose just so he’ll pay attention to you.  Seems like every time he tells me he’s coming by I find him with you.”

            “And what exactly is my diabolical motive for having Casey under my feet all of the time?” Don asked.  “Just because he knows the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver doesn’t mean I’ve put out the welcome mat for him.”

            “Don’t think I haven’t noticed April giving him the eye,” Raph said.  “You figure he’s trying to get with her and if you grab him as soon as he shows up, then he won’t have a chance to make his play.”

            “That’s absurd,” Don whispered, his voice shaking with anger.  “First off, April is not giving him the eye.  Secondly, your observation skills need some work, because I do not grab him when he shows up.  He comes looking for me.  Third, if you really thought that April was interested in him then she’s the one who would be monopolizing Casey’s time, not me.  Why am I the one you’re ragging on?”

            “There’s a difference between some girl trying to hook up with Casey and having him carted off by my own brother,” Raph said.  “I’m not worried about her motives but I should be able to trust you.”

            “For the last time, I don’t have any motives,” Don said, his voice slightly raised.  “I can’t believe you’re acting so jealous about Casey’s time anyway.  Have you stopped to think he might be trying to get close to April through me?”

            Raph snorted humorlessly.  “You really don’t know him do you?  Just because _you_ think he’s after April doesn’t mean that he really is.  Casey’s . . . .”

            He stopped mid-sentence, a bolt of lightning revealing that his head was cocked to the side as though he was listening to something.  Thunder rolled overhead, vibrating the apartment and as it faded, Don heard the bedroom door creak open.

            Pressing themselves as far into the corners of the closet as they could, Don and Raph held their breath as Casey’s mother stepped into the room.  She flipped on the lights and glanced at her son’s bed, a small frown on her face.

            Don’s eyes were glued to her as she walked across the room, passing just in front of the closet.  They had left Casey’s window partially open and she went directly to it, pushing it wide and then leaning partway over the sill.

            A second later they heard her talking to someone and Don glanced over at Raph.  His brother was watching the woman, seemingly unperturbed by her display.

            The conversation didn’t last long.  Casey’s mother backed a few feet away from the window and then stopped, her body language denoting expectancy.  Lightning flashed again, followed almost immediately by thunder, and a large white cat bounded into the room.

            Striding past the cat, Casey’s mother quickly closed the window and grabbed the animal before it could rub against her pant legs.

            “You are a filthy, wet mess,” she scolded the cat, holding it away from her body.  Heading out of Casey’s room, she said, “Let’s get you cleaned up before you get paw prints everywhere.”

            As soon as they heard her go into the bathroom, the pair of turtles practically tumbled out of the closet.

            “Leave the note while she’s busy with the cat,” Raph whispered hastily, “then let’s get out of here.”

            “Did you see what she was wearing?” Don asked, his eyes wide.

            Raph hefted Casey’s backpack over his shoulder.  “One of those Kraang necklaces.  Casey is not gonna be happy about this.  Hurry up; she has to see that note now so the Kraang don’t think he’s with us.”

            Don moved silently over to the door, which was still half open.  From his vantage point, he could see the door to the bathroom and was happy to note that it was closed.  Reaching over, he turned out the bedroom light and then slid into the hall.

            Keeping his eyes peeled on the sliver of light shining from beneath the bathroom door, Don began to tiptoe past it on his way to the kitchen.

            A gigantic clap of thunder made Don nearly jump out of his shell and then all of the lights went out.

            “Oh crap!”  Casey’s mom yelled and yanked the bathroom door open.


	24. 24. No Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 995 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            There was no time for any fancy maneuvers.  Casey’s mom was two steps away from walking right into Don and the growling cat in her arms would give him away if he darted into one of the other rooms.

            Taking advantage of his long arms and legs, Don jumped as high as he could, flinging his feet up against the wall in back of him.  Lunging forward as he jumped, Don’s hands touched the wall in front of him and he braced himself.

            Splayed out several feet above the woman, Don watched Casey’s mother walk a little ways towards the living room and then stop with a curse when her elbow collided with the wall.  The cat started to growl louder, its eyes focused on Don hanging above them.

            It must have started to struggle because Casey’s mother said, “Stop that!  Damn it cat!”

            Turning, she made her way back to the bathroom, muttering under her breath about flashlights as the door closed behind her.

             In an instant Don dropped from the ceiling and fled towards the kitchen.  As Casey had instructed, he placed the note under one of the magnets on the fridge, the darkness no deterrent to a turtle who’d spent his life underground.

            He was about to leave when he noticed an envelope addressed to Casey stuck beneath another of the myriad of magnets on the refrigerator.  Grabbing it quickly, Don darted back towards Casey’s bedroom, passing the bathroom where a triumphant shout and an arc of light shining from beneath the door told Don that Casey’s mom had found a flashlight.

            Raph was standing near the window waiting for him, Casey’s backpack over his shoulder and a hand on the window frame.

            “Are you done?” Raph asked.

            “Yes.  Hurry, his mom has a flashlight,” Don whispered urgently.

            Flinging the window wide, Raph vaulted out onto the fire escape.  Don climbed through behind him and slid the window shut just as a beam of light flashed across the glass.

            Jerking backwards to avoid being seen, Don saw Raph signal for him to go up.  A fast lunge took him over the roof’s edge just as Casey’s mom opened the window and looked down.

            “Casey?” she called.

            After a second she shook her head and glanced up.  Don and Raph ducked out of sight until they heard the window slam shut and then chanced a look down to see that she had gone back inside the apartment.

            The flash of lightening overhead reminded the pair that being so high up during a storm was a seriously bad idea.  By the time the next rumble of thunder had faded they were two buildings away and climbing down to an alley.

            Don felt that his luck might be changing somewhat since it had yet to start raining.  That was until he heard Raph mutter unhappily beneath his breath.

            “What’s wrong?” Don asked.

            “There’s no manhole here,” Raph told him.

            “You know the area,” Don said.  “How far do we have to go?”

            “Couple blocks to the closest one, but it’s in the middle of the street,” Raph answered.  “Five blocks to one that’s in an alley.”

            “There are still people out,” Don said, wishing he could take back his thanks for the lack of rain.

            “You’re the smart one, what are the odds we’ll get hit by lightning if we go back to the roofs?” Raph barked, the question obviously rhetorical.

            “Why don’t you stop snapping at me until we get back home?” Don suggested with exasperation.  “If I had known you were so possessive of your friend I would have avoided him completely.”

            “It ain’t too late to start,” Raph retorted peevishly.  Looking around the corner of the building they were pressed against, he added, “Come on, we’re gonna try for the one in the street.  People are starting to go inside so we got a good chance of not being seen.  Stay out of the light and stop moving when you see someone coming.”

            Don didn’t bother to point out that Raph was stating the obvious.  It was clear his brother was just as uneasy with the situation as he was.

            Sliding onto the sidewalk, Raph and Don crept along in the shadows that were just outside of the spill of light coming from the street lamps.  Whatever had caused the power outage at the Jones’ apartment hadn’t affected the block they were traversing and they had to take care each time they passed beneath a lighted window.

            They had a little over a block to go when a bright flash of lighting lit up the entire block, catching them in its brilliance.

            On the opposite side of the street, a man halted in mid-step and stared.  Before either of the turtles could move, the man lifted his hand and pointed directly at them.

            An unholy howl escaped his wide open mouth, the sound chilling Don down to his very bones.  It was like a scene directly out the horror movie Mikey had mentioned and it became worse when an answering yell echoed from farther down the street.

            “He’s wearing a Kraang necklace!” Raph shouted.

            “I can see that!” Don exclaimed, shoving at Raph’s shoulder.  “My watch is probably jamming the signal, but they’ve been programmed to scream like that if they see us!”

            Raph was already running with Don right on his heels.  “There goes another one!  It’s like a damn relay system!”

            “The Kraang are going to hear it and come straight here!” Don yelled.  “Can we get to the manhole?”

            “There’s no time,” Raph said, changing direction.  “They’re between us and that entrance.  We’ve got to go for the alley.  Let’s hope that screaming isn’t as fast as a police radio.”

            The red banded turtle laughed as he said that and Don couldn’t help but admire his brother’s ability to find humor in the situation.

            Too bad Raph was the only one who did.


	25. 25. Trouble Lurking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 734 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            As they ran, Don’s mind was busy calculating odds.  They had four long city blocks to traverse before reaching a spot where they could drop into the sewers.  The jamming signal he’d devised would theoretically work in a coverage area of half a mile.

            Therefore, under normal circumstances they could easily reach the next manhole before one of the citizen’s necklaces started broadcasting again.  Unfortunately, the howling alarm that they had been programmed to initiate when sighting a turtle was a factor that had a number of variables.

            If the alarm penetrated beyond the range of Don’s jamming device, then the Kraang would immediately be notified that their quarry was in the vicinity.  If the Kraang knew soon enough, they could block off Raph and Don’s escape.

            Since the Kraang knew that the turtles used the sewer system they could also simply locate the nearest entry point and either ambush the turtles there, or be waiting in the tunnels for the brothers to drop into their waiting arms.

            With that howling sound echoing from all around them, Don realized there could be big trouble lurking around virtually every turn and in every shadow.  He wished he’d just told Leo what they needed to do for Casey.  If Leo had said no, Don could have taken him in to tell Casey to his face.

            Don was pretty sure Leo wouldn’t have said no again, not once Casey brought his mother into it.  There was a good chance they would have made Don stay at the lair which as it turned out, would have been just fine with the genius.  He could have been right there to break up April and Casey’s little tete-a-tete and Leo would have accomplished what should have been a simple mission without a hitch.

            The first drops of rain started to fall then; giant sized globules that splattered as they hit Don’s skin.  Maybe that would drive the humans indoors.  Don hoped their natural instinct to avoid the rain would override the Kraang programming.

            “If their signal gets ahead of my jamming device there’s a chance we’ll have a welcoming committee,” Don warned his brother.

            “Yeah, I figured that one out for myself Donnie,” Raph said as they turned a corner.  “We’ve got one more block to . . . .”

            His words were cut off as a Kraang laser cut through the darkness and nearly took Raph’s head off.  Only shear instinct made him jerk sideways at the last possible second and when the turtles looked for the source of the shot, they saw three Kraang droids on the sidewalk in front of them.

            By the time Don had whipped out his bo staff, Raph was already leaping, sais in hand.  The muzzle of the Kraang blaster was still lifting when Raph plunged downward, spearing the robot’s head.

            Shifting left and then right, Don avoided a laser burst and then snapped his bo against the nearest Kraang.  The blow smashed one of the hands holding the blaster and before the Kraang could move, Don jammed the end of his bo underneath the robotic head, knocking it off its shoulders.

            When he spun around he saw Raph stomping on the last Kraang.

            Raph’s brilliant green eyes glinted mischievously as he brought them up to glance at Don.  “And I thought this trip was gonna be boring,” he said with obvious glee.

            “Come on, there might be more of them,” Don said urgently, jumping over the fallen Kraang.

            It started to pour down as the brothers raced for the alley.  The water fell in heavy sheets, making visibility difficult, but Raph seemed to know just where he was going.

            “Over here!” Raph called, turning into the alley.

            The manhole was at the halfway point between the street and the end of the alley, but they hadn’t gone more than a quarter of the way when several Kraang bots stepped out of hiding to block their path.

            Sliding to a stop, the brothers whirled around to go back only to find that the mouth of the alley was blocked by more Kraang.

            “Still having fun, Raph?” Don asked as he backed up so that he was shell to shell with his brother.

            “I’ll let you know if we manage to get out of this,” Raph responded.

            It wasn’t the most optimistic answer Don could have hoped for.


	26. 26. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 953 Drabble  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            Despite the noise made by the heavy downpour, Don heard one of the Kraang say, “Kraang’s instructions are that Kraang must not destroy the turtle named Donatello who is the turtle that Kraang must not destroy.”

            “Kraang may destroy the other turtle that is not the turtle that Kraang must not destroy,” said another of the Kraang bots.

            “It looks like watching my shell is going to involve you losing yours,” Don said to his brother.

            “Hey, at least now we have proof they really are after you,” Raph told him.

            “Thanks,” Don said sarcastically, “that makes me feel so much better.”

            “Off the walls?” Raph asked.

            “Count of three,” Don replied.  “One, two, _three_!”

            As soon as the last word left Don’s mouth, the brothers separated, running directly towards the bricks walls of the buildings in front of them.  Upon reaching the wall, Don used his momentum to run straight up before flipping in mid-air and landing behind one of the Kraang.  His bo was moving before his feet were completely down, smashing the bot’s hand with his staff while from the corner of his eye he saw Raph behead another one.

            Pivoting quickly, Don slipped away from the Kraang who was trying to grab him.  Spinning his staff, he hooked it under the Kraang bot’s feet and sent the robotic body sprawling into one of its fellows.

            A hard jab against the bot’s neck separated its head from its body and the Kraang that was inside jumped out of its protective exo-suit.  When it ran directly at Don, the turtle hopped backwards and batted the little alien away from him.

            Glancing around quickly, Don saw Raph standing amidst a pile of Kraang bot parts.  When Raph looked over, Don gave him a thumbs up signal and watched a large smile bloom on his brother’s face.

            The smile faded to a look of horror just as a vicious jolt slammed into Don, knocking him to the ground.  His entire body felt as though it was connected to a car battery, the shock to his system so intense Don couldn’t move.

            “Donnie!” Raph yelled.

            His cry sounded far off; echoing around in Don’s head as his body twitched uselessly.  Although he couldn’t turn his head, Don could see flashes of pinkish light and knew the Kraang were shooting at Raph.

            Don could feel the rain pelting him as something similar to an electrical current continued to pulsate through his body.  He didn’t think he’d been hit by a laser blast but whatever it was, he was sure it was meant to incapacitate him, which is exactly what it had done.

            He could hear the sound of his brother’s fists and the snarling grunts that told him Raph was engaged in a violent battle.  Don desperately wanted to help or to at least shout at his brother to run, but he couldn’t do either of those things because his tongue was just as petrified as his body.

            Then he heard a secondary sound; low, grating, and familiar.  Don might not have even noticed it if it wasn’t for the fact that his head was on the pavement.  It was a sound that he recognized immediately because he heard it so often.

            Someone had lifted the manhole cover and shoved it aside.  Someone who wasn’t Raphael.

            The jolt that had jarred him into immobility was fading, but Don still couldn’t lift his head.  He was able to slide his cheek along the rough pavement though, and with every bit of strength he could muster, Don did just that so he could look towards the manhole.

            As his eyes reached the opening in the ground, Don saw a white hockey mask appear and then a split second later Casey Jones rocketed out of the manhole.

            His wild cry drew a similar shout from Raph, who sounded jubilant at the sight of the teen.  After that the only sounds Don recognized were sporadic laser bursts and metal body parts hitting the pavement.

            Suddenly a pair of soft hands touched Don’s shoulders and a small form blocked the rain from hitting his upper body.

            “Don?  Donnie?  Are you okay?” April asked frantically, her head close to his.

            Don’s eyes swiveled towards her voice and he saw her.  His joy at her presence was immediately overridden by panic.  With her here, the Kraang would have both of their targets.

            Although he managed to open his mouth a little, Don couldn’t form the word “Go” properly and to April it must have sounded like ‘no’.  Her breath hitched as soon as she heard him and she grabbed his arms, attempting to drag his body towards the open manhole.

            “Raph!” Casey shouted, appearing out of nowhere to take Don’s limp form out of April’s hands.  “Down kid; get back into the sewers!”

            Don’s head sagged, his neck lacking the strength to lift it.  Raph’s feet came into view as Casey slid beneath Don’s arm and pulled the upper part of his body off the ground.

            “Lower him down to me!” Raph ordered, jumping through the manhole.

            Casey half-carried, half-dragged Don over and eased him down to his brother.  Raph set Don carefully on the ground as Casey shoved the metal cover into place and dropped down next to them.

            April squatted beside Don, her hands on his face as she looked into his eyes.  He noticed that hers were wet with tears and wondered if that was from fright or if they were from worry over him.

            “We can’t stay here, they’re gonna come back,” Casey said.

            Don knew he was right, but it would have been nice to enjoy that moment for a bit longer.


	27. 27. Foreign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,120  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

            “What happened to him?” April asked as they helped Don to his feet.

            “The Kraang shot him,” Raph said, taking one side of Don while Casey slipped into place on the other side.  “It wasn’t a blaster though; it looked different and the flash was yellow.”

            “Electroshock,” Don murmured, his mouth beginning to work again.

            “Ya’ got hit by a Taser?” Casey asked.  “They don’t usually last this long pal.”

            “You can give us your Taser expertise later, Casey.  Pick up the pace; I can hear someone coming after us,” Raph said as they began to jog.

            Don hated being unable to move his body but he had hope that the affect was wearing off.  His tongue wasn’t just lying on the bottom of his mouth anymore and he could feel the pins and needles sensation that indicated his numbness was fading.

            The tunnels were too narrow in some places for them to run full out and April wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Raph and Casey anyway.  Don’s weight was too much of a hindrance for just one of them to carry for any great distance.

            Although Don couldn’t see what was going on, he could hear perfectly well.  There were others in the sewers with them and it didn’t take someone with Don’s impressive brain cells to know it was the Kraang.

            Almost as if reading his thoughts, Raph said, “The Kraang knew we were coming down here and they’re trying to box us in.”

            “There’s a maze of tunnels down here,” Casey said.  “They don’t know them the way we do.”

            “Online,” Don managed to say, hoping someone would understand.

            April did.  “The blueprints of these tunnels are online for anyone who wants to look at them.  The Kraang probably uploaded them as soon as they figured out the turtles live down here.”

            “Well that kind of gives them an unfair advantage,” Raph said bitterly.

            All Don could think of was that April was here and she was going to get caught.  She shouldn’t have left the lair to come looking for them.  Casey knew that the Kraang wanted her badly and he shouldn’t have let her come with him.

            Angry, Don forced his head up so he could glare at Casey.  “Why . . . no April!” he said as sharply as he could.

            “Sorry Donnie, she didn’t give me any choice,” Casey said.  “She came in to check on us maybe a minute after the two of ya’ left and wanted to know where ya’ were.  I gave her the story about the loose rail but she didn’t buy it for long.”

            “Don’t jump on Casey,” April said.  “He apparently isn’t bright enough to know he shouldn’t have sent you after his things, but you two should have been smarter.  I refused to leave until you got back and when it was obvious you’d been gone too long he started fidgeting.”

            “She said she was gonna tell Master Splinter ya’ were gone if I didn’t tell her the truth,” Casey said.  “When I did she said ya’ should have already been back and we should go after ya’.  I was planning on doing that anyway, but she wouldn’t let me go alone.  She said she wouldn’t bring me my clothes if I didn’t let her come too.”

            “Your leg,” Don said in as scalding a tone as he could squeeze out.

            “I’m walking ain’t I?” Casey said with a grin.  “It takes more than a bum leg and a fever to keep Casey Jones down.”

            “If we hadn’t come you would have been captured,” April said vehemently.

            “We were holding our own,” Raph argued.

            “Don was face down on the pavement and there were five Kraang droids clinging to you,” April shot back.  “Is that what you call holding your own?”

            While they were arguing, Don could hear the heavy thump of metal on concrete.  There were Kraang in the tunnels and by the sound of it, quite a few of them.

            “Raph!” Don bellowed, trying to get his brother’s attention.

            “Geez Donnie, I’m right next to you,” Raph griped.

            “Kraang . . .  surrounded . . . .” Don muttered.

            Raph stopped abruptly, dragging Casey to a stop as well.  The shock had worn off enough so that Don could lift his head and he saw that his brother was listening.

            “He’s right,” Raph said in a low voice.  “It sounds like they’re in the tunnels all around us.  I think we’re gonna have to go back up, maybe through a subway grate instead of a manhole to throw them off.  Then we’ll just outrun them.”

            “Donnie can’t,” April reminded him in a hoarse whisper.

            “Yeah,” Raph said thoughtfully, eying his brother.

            Don’s stomach lurched as he watched Raph’s face.  Raph was the best fighter amongst them, but as far as planning went his at bat average was bad.

            “Hide?” Don asked hopefully.

            “These tunnels are foreign to me, bro’,” Raph said.  “I only just started exploring them after I met Casey.”

            “I know them,” Casey said.  “There are some unfinished tunnels we could hide in that aren’t on any maps.  If the Kraang start looking hard enough though, they’ll find us.”

            Raph snapped his fingers and spun out from under Don’s arm, pushing his brother against Casey.  “I’ll lead them away from you.  I’ll get their attention and make them chase me.  Once they clear out, you guys high tail it back to the lair.”

            “They won’t chase you,” April said.

            “What?  Why not?” Raph asked.

            “Because they don’t want you, they want Don and me,” April said.  “They know we’re here and they’ll ignore you to look for us.  I’m going with you.”

            “No!” Don yelped.  He tried to put his weight on his feet but his legs wouldn’t cooperate.

            Raph looked grim but said, “April’s right.  We gotta do it her way.  I’ll get her home safe and then double back to make sure the trick worked.  Casey, you take Donnie to one of those tunnels and stay low until you’re sure the Kraang are gone.  Use Don’s T-phone to call me if something happens.”

            “No,” Don repeated.  This time the word was easier to form, so he tried for more.  “They might . . . track signal.”

            “Use it anyway if it’s an emergency,” Raph said, staring at Casey to emphasize his point.

            “They ain’t gonna get him away from me,” Casey promised.

            “Come on, April.  We ain’t got time to talk about this anymore,” Raph said.

            “Please be careful,” April urged Don and Casey before jogging to catch up to Raph.

            Don followed her with his eyes as he silently repeated that wish.


	28. 28. Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,273  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the incredible MomoRawrr on DeviantArt.

            Raph and April disappeared quickly, the red banded turtle adjusting his speed to match April’s.  Don was not happy with the state of affairs and even less happy when Casey pulled Don closer and force walked the turtle into a side tunnel.

            Don had hoped that it wouldn’t actually come to them having to hide in some dank unfinished tunnel.  However, as Don could tell from the sound of things, the Kraang bots were still nearby.

            Casey wasted no time in urging Don into another small tunnel before veering off from that one into a half-finished opening in the tunnel wall.  The floor was strewn with construction debris and garbage; the humid smell of wet earth striking Don’s nostrils as Casey carried him inside.

            They could only go in a few feet before a wall of dirt told them they’d reached a dead end.  Casey eased Don onto the ground, leaning him against the wall before darting back to the entrance.  Using some of the scattered rubbish, Casey further barricaded their hiding place.

            The sound of Kraang lasers firing in the distance made Donatello wince.  He knew that his brother was at least partially successful in getting the Kraang’s attention but that thought was no comfort to the turtle whose primary concern was for April’s safety.

            Don’s extremities started to twitch as they came back to life and the movement dislodged him from the wall.  As he began to slide sideways, Casey rushed over and caught him.  Sitting down next to the turtle, Casey slung an arm across Don’s shoulders, wedging part of his body in behind Don’s.

            “How are ya’ feeling?” Casey asked in a low voice.

            “Better,” Don told him.

            Although he knew the boy was merely trying to help him, Don felt strangely self-conscious.  He wasn’t used to being quite so helpless and decided that accounted for his discomfort.

            “Can ya’ move at all?”  Casey leaned in so that he could peer into Don’s face.

            “My mouth works again,” Don whispered, “and I can feel my arms and legs.  Let me try something.”

            Concentrating on his legs first, Don attempted to move them but only managed a quick spasm that caused his heels to dig into the ground.  He had better luck with his fingers, lifting and lowering each in turn, accidently brushing Casey’s thigh as he worked his hands.

            Casey’s sudden breathy inhalation made Don stop moving.  “Did I hit your wound?” Don asked with concern.

            After a second, Casey cleared his throat and said, “I’m okay.  Um, seems like that stuff is pretty slow to wear off.  Just sit still and we’ll be okay.  Don’t worry about the Kraang; I ain’t gonna let them get near ya’.”

            Don was surprised to find that Casey’s assurances helped to ease his mind.  He’d seen the boy in action in the warehouse and had heard him viciously fighting the Kraang earlier.  Casey might not be a trained ninja, but sheer audacity seemed to work just as well.

            There was an awkward pause in their conversation during which time Don became acutely aware of Casey’s body heat radiating into his skin.  Don would have liked to attempt to sit up on his own, but doubted he would be able to talk Casey out of his protective hold.

            Casey finally broke the silence by saying, “I saw that Raph had my backpack, so I’m guessing ya’ got into my apartment okay.”

            “Oh, yes.  We got in just fine,” Don said and then bit his lip.  He contemplated the advisability of telling Casey anything more, but decided the boy deserved to know.  “Casey, your mom came home while we were in your room.”

            “Damn, she didn’t see ya’ did she?” Casey asked quickly.

            “No, we hid as soon as we heard her come in,” Don answered.  “I put your note on the refrigerator like you asked and then Raph and I cut out of there.”

            Casey sighed with relief, his breath tickling the side of Don’s head.  “Good.  I told her I was staying over with some friends in case she noticed some of my clothes were missing.  She won’t be looking for me for a few days and my leg should be healed up enough by then so she won’t know I got hurt.”

            “You can’t go home in a few days,” Don blurted out.

            “Why the heck not?” Casey wanted to know, twisting his face around so he could look at Don again.

            Don didn’t know Casey well enough to predict how he would react but he had to chance it.  “We saw her when she came into your room looking for you.  Casey, your mom was wearing a Kraang necklace.”

            For a couple of minutes all Casey did was stare at him, his mouth slightly open.  Even in the darkness of the tunnel, Don could see that the boy’s skin had blanched.

            “They got my mom?” Casey eventually asked in a tone that sounded as though he thought he hadn’t heard Don correctly.

            “I don’t know if they were after her specifically or if she was unlucky enough to be with a group the Kraang were tagging,” Don rushed to say.  “Raph and I found out that a lot of people are wearing those necklaces now.”

            “My mom,” Casey repeated, his voice filled with a sorrow that made Don wish his arms worked so that he could offer the boy something more than verbal comfort.

            “I’ll figure out how to counteract the Kraang’s signals,” Don promised.  “Maybe a frequency modulation that will short out the electronics in the mind control device will do the trick.”

            “Yeah,” Casey said, still sounding stunned.

            “I found a way to cure Mr. O’Neil; I can find a way to save your mom,” Don assured him.

            Casey’s eyes filled with sudden warmth; only inches from Don’s they seemed to take over the dismal little tunnel, making Don momentarily forget where they were.

            “I know ya’ can,” Casey whispered.  “Ya’ can do anything, can’t ya’ Donnie?”

            His expression was unlike any Don had ever seen and it left the turtle at a loss.  “I . . . uh, well . . . not anything . . . I mean . . . I can figure out most things if I have enough time.”

            Before Don could add anything to his embarrassed spluttering, a sound from the main tunnel cut him off.  There was a flash of light and a clattering sound as something bumped against the brick walls.

            Casey wrapped his arm possessively across Don’s chest, his hand flattening on the turtle’s plastron.  Rising onto one knee, Casey lifted his bat up near his shoulder and hissed, “Shhh,” into Don’s ear.

            A second later a Kraang bot walked by, followed by another, their eyes glowing like flashlights as they cut through the darkness.  Neither spotted the alcove like space where Don and Casey were hiding.

            It was apparent that Raph’s ruse had only worked to a certain extent and that some of the Kraang were intent on continuing a minute search of the tunnels.  Although Don could now move both hands and wiggle his toes, he was still unable to make a run for it.

            They were going to be stuck in their hiding place for a while longer.  Don was impatient to find out if Raph and April had gotten away and worried about what his family would say when they found out he’d coerced Raph into making a trip topside with him.

            Even more concerning was that despite their dire circumstances, Casey seemed perfectly content to stay where they were.


	29. 29. Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,049  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the incredible MomoRawrr on DeviantArt.

            Donatello always felt like his family’s happiness had more or less been contingent upon the things he was able to provide them with.  That sense of duty had expanded to cover April O’Neil and to some extent, her father as well.

            So much responsibility had left him feeling inadequate at times, but usually his father would come along and help Donnie make peace with himself.  Don could use some of his sensei’s wisdom right now, because the situation he found himself in was confusing at best.

            There was an overwhelming sense of guilt at having been the reason for April and Casey to come out on a rescue mission.  As a highly trained ninja, Don should have been able to handle the Kraang attack without assistance.  Maybe if he’d had his head screwed on straight and wasn’t fighting with Raph they wouldn’t have encountered the Kraang at all.

            Coupled with that was the feeling of foreboding that permeated his outlook.  There was no way they were going to be able to keep this outing a secret any longer; even if they all made it back to the lair without the other members of his family knowing they’d gone out, Don would have to tell them.  They all needed to know just how pervasive the Kraang brain washing efforts had become.

            Finally there was the newest member of the team of ‘good guys’, as Mikey liked to refer to his family and friends.  Don might have mixed feelings about Casey Jones, but there was no denying that Raph needed his friendship.  Casey had also proven that he was worthy of their trust and held the same belief that the world would be better off without the Kraang, just as the turtles did.

            Logically there was no reason for Don to think that he was at fault for Casey’s mom becoming a victim of the Kraang, but somehow he still did.  Casey had grown unusually quiet since Don had promised to find a way to free his mother from the mind control device the Kraang had placed on her.

            It wasn’t just that there were Kraang bots patrolling the tunnels and Casey didn’t want to be heard by them; the last patrol had passed their hiding spot a quarter of an hour earlier.  Something was bothering Casey and Don was sure that he had to be thinking about his mother.

            Casey was still clutching him tightly and Don thought he knew why.  As long as he felt he had a duty to protect the turtle, Casey wouldn’t be tempted to rush straight back to his apartment.  Maybe that meant Don was playing the role of protector too; Casey couldn’t do anything foolish while Don was disabled.

            In the meantime they could talk a little.  Talking was a good way for Don to find out how Casey felt about April.  Don would just have to be subtle about his inquiry so that Casey wouldn’t realize how important the information was to the ninja.

            “I did a test run of my signal jammer while we were out,” Don whispered, starting the conversation.  “It worked well but we ran across another problem.  The humans who are wearing the mind control devices have been programmed to scream when they see one of us.  It’s a signal too and it relays from one human to another.  That’s how the Kraang found us; one of the people in the chain was outside of the effective range of my watch.”

            “Ya’ telling me this so I’ll know that my mom might rat me out if she sees me?” Casey asked.

            Don felt himself flush.  “Sorry.  I didn’t mean it like that; I just wanted you to know how we got into this predicament.”

            “So I wouldn’t think less of ya’ for nearly getting caught?”  Casey lightly tapped Don’s plastron.  “Don’t worry about that.  I know ya’ don’t have any way of knowing everything the Kraang is up to.  If anyone should feel bad it should be me.  I’m the one who suggested April and ya’ should hole up in the lair and then I turn around and beg ya’ to check on my mom.”

            “She’s family, Casey.  That’s always a first priority,” Don said.

            “I was dumb,” Casey insisted.  “I could’ve just called her and said I was okay.  I could’ve asked Raph to swipe something for me to wear from a clothesline instead of sending the two of ya’ to my apartment.  Just ‘cause I never ran up against a Kraang in person didn’t mean they hadn’t found out about me.”

            “Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Don told him.  “Raph and I didn’t think of that either.  The Kraang have probably programmed people to patrol the area near your apartment and the O’Neil’s place.”

            “Yeah,” Casey said softly.  “That’s another smart move of mine, letting April blackmail me into bringing her along.  It’s damn hard to say no to her though.  She’s not just cute, she’s feisty too.  I like that.”

            Don felt as though a cold hand had just reached into his chest and squeezed his heart.  His brothers all knew how he felt about April but he didn’t want Casey to know it.  That was like giving ammunition to a rival; it would make Don too vulnerable.

            He needed to respond to Casey but all Don could think to say was, “She’s unique.”

            “She likes ya’,” Casey said, twisting sideways so he could gaze searchingly at Don.

            Blushing lightly, Don said, “She likes all of us.”

            “There are different kinds of likes, Donnie.  I tried to explain that to ya’ once before,” Casey said somberly.  “April thinks you’re special.  So do I.”

            Don was about to ask for an explanation when he thought he heard someone call his name.  He turned his head sharply, happy to find that he had enough muscle control to sit up straight and not have to depend on Casey to hold him up.

            “Did you hear that?” Don asked.

            “Don?  Donatello?  Casey?”  The voice belonged to Raph.

            “It’s Raph,” Don said excitedly.  “He must have gotten rid of the Kraang!”

            Don was just starting to call to his brother when Casey clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him towards the back of their hiding place.


	30. 30. Under The Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,127  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the incredible MomoRawrr on DeviantArt.

            Don did not appreciate the rough treatment or the confusion that followed Casey’s abrupt action.  His heels dug furrows into the dirt and his rump scraped across the rock strewn ground when Casey unceremoniously plunked him down.  If Don had any kind of mobility, he would have shown Casey just how displeased he was.

            Instead, Don grunted his indignation as he tried to pull away from Casey’s hand.

            “Don’t,” Casey whispered urgently against his ear.  “Please Don, be quiet.”

            Casey lifted his hand from Don’s mouth and leaned in close enough so that Don could see the boy’s dark eyes reflecting the small amount of light that filtered into their hiding place.

            “Donatello!” Raph shouted.

            Don’s first instinct was to sit forward but Casey physically restrained him, whispering, “Shhh.”

            Frustrated, Don pushed against Casey, trying to dislodge his hands but suddenly stopped struggling when he heard Raph call out again.  Frowning, he listened to the echo of Raph’s voice and immediately understood why Casey was acting so strange.  Something sounded off.

            “What is it?”  Don asked, the question as much for himself as it was for Casey.

            “I don’t think that’s Raph,” Casey answered.

            “It’s his voice,” Don hissed.

            “Yeah, his voice saying words the way that the Kraang do,” Casey said.  “It sounds flat.  And why ain’t he calling ya’ Donnie if he’s worried about ya’?  He always says Donnie when he’s worried, not Donatello.”

            “No inflection,” Don murmured as he started to understand what had sounded so odd to him.

            “That’s the word,” Casey said in agreement.  “Stay here.”

            Casey patted Don’s shoulder reassuringly as he stood up but Don grabbed at his hand, managing to snag it before Casey could get away.

            “What are you doing?” Don asked in an agitated whisper.

            “I’m just gonna take a look,” Casey told him.

            “If they see you . . . .” Don began.

            He didn’t have to finish the sentence.  “They won’t.  If that ain’t Raph I’ll be right back.  If it is, then I’m gonna try to get a look at his neck before we go announcing ourselves.  That’s the job he trusted me to do,” Casey said.

            There wasn’t much Don could argue in that statement, nor was there much he could do about it anyway.  Casey pulled out of Don’s grip and tiptoed away, not nearly as soundless as the ninja brothers would have been, but the boy did a passable job of moving silently.  If that really was Raph out there, he would already have heard Casey.

            While he waited, Don tried moving his extremities again, relieved to find that he could lift his arms for a few seconds and that his feet responded to commands.  Whatever the Kraang had hit him with was certainly not meant to wear off quickly.

            Don was just beginning to grow concerned when he heard Casey returning.  The boy’s eyes must have adjusted to the gloom because Casey made straight for Don, squatting down next to him.

            “It wasn’t Raph,” Casey said a bit breathlessly, even as the Raph voice called their names again.  “It’s the Kraang.  I only saw one of them, the one that’s imitating Raph.”

            “They know they stunned me and that I wasn’t with Raph and April,” Don said.  “Most of them chased my brother, but they must have left some Kraang down here to search for us.  They are probably scattered around inside the tunnels right now.”

            “Yeah, I hope Raph don’t get a notion to look for us when he doubles back to see if all of them chased him,” Casey said worriedly.  “They’ll try to trick him by using your voice.”

            “They’re adapting,” Don said.  “They’re learning from the humans that they’re using.”

            “They’re learning from the movies we watch,” Casey corrected him with a touch of humor.  “Donnie, if they keep looking they’re gonna find us.  We’ve got to get ya’ moving and head topside.  It’s pouring down out there; I could hear it.  Right now out there under the rain is the best hiding place of all.”

            “I can move my arms a little,” Don said, “and my legs have that tingling sensation you get when you try using them after they’ve been cramped.”

            “Let’s see if we can get the circulation moving a little faster,” Casey said, shoving his bat back into the bag.

            Grabbing one of Don’s arms, Casey began to rub it briskly, starting at the fingers and working his way up to Don’s shoulder.

            The action was so abrupt that Don didn’t have time to protest.  Casey’s touch felt odd as his five fingered hands danced across Don’s skin.  The only human who had ever touched Don before this was April and the physical contact with her had never seemed this _intimate_.

            Although Don’s initial reaction was to tell Casey to stop, that was quickly overridden when the turtle realized that the massage was working.  He could feel the numbness leaving his arm and by the time Casey’s hands were on his shoulder, Don could flex his arm and make a tight fist.

            “Do ya’ like this?” Casey asked in a low, smooth voice that was somehow very relaxing.

            “Yeah,” Don admitted, closing his eyes as Casey’s fingers restored the feeling to his body.  “Where did you learn how to do that?”

            “Playing hockey,” Casey said, crawling over Don to get to his other arm.  “Ya’ get pretty beat up sometimes and the trainer pops things back into place while he works the kinks out.  After ya’ been on the table a few times ya’ learn his tricks.”

            As strange as it was to be sitting in the dark with Casey rubbing his arms, Don couldn’t help but acknowledge that it was doing the job.  He tried to imagine what it would be like to have April doing this to him and the thought made him blush.

            “Go ahead and see if ya’ can move them now,” Casey said as he released Don.

            Don lifted his arms slowly, grateful when they both responded.  Holding them high above his head he shook them and then reached back to touch his bo, first with one hand and then the other.

            “At least now I can defend myself,” Don quipped happily.

            Casey’s shift in position was barely noticed by Don who was busy reveling in the simple joy of being able to move his upper body.  It was one big step towards getting out of their hiding place and heading home.

            “That’s not gonna do ya’ much good unless ya’ can walk,” Casey said, his voice deeper than normal.

            Startled by the change in tone, Don looked up just as both of Casey’s hands latched onto his upper thigh.


	31. 31. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,200  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG - suggestive touching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created for this chapter by the extremely talented Samantai on DeviantArt.

            It was immediately obvious that Casey’s touch was different as the boy’s hands curled around Don’s thigh.  When Casey had massaged Don’s arms back to life, his movements had been brisk and his grip tight.

            Now Casey’s hands slid across Don’s skin, covering every inch as though memorizing the pattern of Don’s muscles.  Don gasped slightly when Casey’s fingers dipped inwards to touch the more sensitive skin on his inner thighs.

            “W . . . what are you doing?” Don asked, stuttering from surprise.

            “I don’t know enough about the differences between our bodies,” Casey said, his voice a little hoarse.  “I can’t just go squeezing around; I have to get some idea of how your muscles are set up.”

            “We aren’t . . . aren’t all that different from you,” Don said as hastily as he could.  Casey’s hands didn’t even pause in their examination.

            “How do ya’ know?” Casey asked in a measured tone.  “Ya’ ever check out a human body, ever let your hands explore skin and muscle and bone?”

            “I sewed you up,” Don pointed out.

            Casey turned his head to smile at Don.  “That was just a small section of the outer layer of skin, Donnie.  I’m talking about the _whole_ body.”

            Don didn’t want to admit that he’d done some research after meeting April so that he could find out if they were compatible.  That was something even his brothers didn’t know about.

            “No,” Don answered.

            Casey reached over and pushed against Don’s other leg, separating them further before sliding his palms along the insides of both Don’s thighs.

            “Ya’ ever want to?”  Casey asked in a gruff whisper.  “Ever think about it?”

            Well of course Don had; he’d daydreamed of being with April so often that he’d created his own little stories about how they would finally get together.  Don imagined that he would be very suave and self-assured, that he would ask her for a date and she would accept.  That he would bring her flowers, take her to dinner, and dance close with her.  He fantasized that he could do all of the things that she would expect from a human boy and that she would accept him as her boyfriend because of that.

            That wasn’t any of Casey’s business though.  “No, not really.  I suppose I should look some things up on the internet if I’m going to be called on to provide anymore first aid,” Don said facetiously.

            Casey chuckled.  “I prefer this type of approach.  I’m a hands on kind of guy.”

            Clearing his throat, Don said, “How about I let you know if something doesn’t feel right and you go ahead and fix my legs the way you did with my arms?    We don’t exactly have a lot of time.”

            He didn’t know why he was reacting with such an intense bashfulness at having Casey’s hands on his legs.  Perhaps it was because Casey was ministering to an area that was so close to Don’s groin and no one had ever touched him there, not even his brothers when they were wrestling.

            “Maybe we can get together after this and learn some stuff about each other,” Casey said.  His hands stopped moving as he pinned Don with an intense look.

            “S. . . sure,” Don agreed, though he didn’t know exactly what he was saying yes to.  Anything to move Casey along.

            “Great,” Casey said brightly as he began to rub Don’s legs more vigorously.

            The silence that fell between them started to feel awkward and Don said, “I was just thinking that we should call Raph and warn him not to come back here.  You know, because the Kraang are impersonating our voices.  He could walk into a trap and get caught and . . . .”

            Don trailed off, realizing that he was babbling.  Casey seemed not to notice, his concentration focused on Don’s left leg as he worked his way down to the calf muscle.

            “Does that phone you designed have a silent feature?” Casey asked.  “’Cause if it don’t, or if Raph forgot to switch it over, then your call is gonna give him and April away if they had to go into hiding too.”

            For a second Don had a mental image of Raph and April pressed into some small space together, trying to avoid detection by the Kraang.  He shoved it out of his mind as fast as he could; the thought made him a little angry and he wondered if Raph had suggested April coming with him as a way to get some alone time with her.

            Don immediately felt like an idiot for even thinking that; Raph had shown no interest whatsoever in April.  Casey was right of course, Raph probably hadn’t turned his ringer off.  Don bet that Casey was no doubt beginning to think the genius turtle was actually an air head.  For some reason, the boy always threw Don off his stride.

            “I usually think a lot straighter than this,” Don said by way of an explanation.

            “Don’t sweat it pal,” Casey said as he crept into place between Don’s outstretched legs and knelt down.  “Ya’ got hit by an alien stun gun and you’re worried about April and your brother.  I think you’re pretty darn calm considering.  How’s that leg now?”

            It took Don a second to register that Casey was asking if he could move.  Don rolled his leg from side to side and then carefully bent his knee, lifting his foot from the ground and bringing his leg up to his chest.

            “It’s good,” Don pronounced excitedly as he set his foot down.  “The feeling is back.”

            “One more to go and then we make a break for it,” Casey said as he started to massage Don’s right leg.

            Don watched Casey work, for the first time really enjoying Casey’s touch.  All in all, Casey was a good looking teen; dark hair and eyes, lean muscular body, tall and coordinated.  Don could see why a girl would like him.

            “April thinks you’re special too,” Don blurted out unexpectedly.

            Casey glanced up quickly.  “Yeah?  She tell ya’ that?”

            Don blushed.  “Not in so many words.  I can just tell.”

            Casey seemed to mull that over.  “Ya’ think she likes me the way a girl likes a boy?” he asked, his head down again as he resumed work on Don’s leg.

            “M . . . maybe,” Don said, though admitting that was painful.  He was suddenly curious to find out where Casey stood on the subject.

            “I guess that’d be cool,” Casey said, shrugging his shoulders before looking at Don once more.  “I don’t meet a lot of girls who can take care of themselves.  I’ve gone out with a few like that, but mostly I find that guys are more my speed.  Ya’ get my drift, Donnie?”

            Suddenly Donatello did.  Everything made so much more sense now.  Raph’s apparent jealousy, April and Casey’s arguments, Mikey’s hints, Leo’s questions, the amount of time Casey spent at the lair and the confession he’d just made that he was bi-sexual.  All of it was now crystal clear.

            Casey and Raph were together.


	32. 32. Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 762  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG - suggestive touching

            Don’s sudden flash of insight regarding Casey’s preferences took a great weight off the turtle’s shoulders.  He didn’t feel like he was competing for April’s affections anymore because Casey didn’t sound all that interested in pursuing her.

            Nor did Don have to concern himself with the idea that Raph might be chasing April as well, though that thought had been fleeting.  What Don now assumed with great certainty was that Raph had been on the verge of telling him their secret when Casey’s mother had entered the room.

            Raph had said he wasn’t worried about April’s motives around Casey because he knew that Casey was ambivalent towards the girl.  His brother had been mad at Don and now it all made sense.  Raph was worried that Don was trying to steal Casey from him, possibly thinking that Don was bi-sexual as well.

            Leo seemed to have guessed something was going on between Raph and Casey, though from the way he behaved Don was sure he didn’t really know anything.  Big brother always did have a hard time sharing Raph; even though they fought a lot, they were really close.  If Leo found out he’d have a fit.

            The one that got to Don the most was Mikey.  His little brother had apparently figured it all out from the very beginning.  In true Mikey fashion, he’d kept his little secrets and manipulated them in order to get as much entertainment out of them as he could.  Don had a few choice words for Mikey whenever he managed to get back home.

            This revelation was such a monumental relief to Don that for a moment he forgot where they were.  He even forgot that Casey was rubbing his leg in a fashion that would thoroughly aggravate Raph if his brother happened upon them right at that moment.

            That thought snapped Don out of his miniature reverie and he jerked his leg out of Casey’s hands, using the wall behind him as leverage to push himself to his feet.

            “Donnie?”  Casey was staring at him, surprised by Don’s abrupt movement.

            “The f . . . feelings back,” Don said, his voice a little shaky.  “We should try to get out of here.”

            “Are you sure you’re strong enough?” Casey asked, standing up slowly in front of Don.

            Casey was a little too close for comfort and Don tried to put his weight on his legs, only to have them threaten to buckle.  He fell back against the wall, watching wide eyed as Casey came nearer, placing a hand on the wall next to Don’s shoulder.

            “Can you run?” Casey asked, his voice low.

            “C . . . can I . . . . “ Don swallowed, wondering why Casey suddenly seemed so menacing.  Finally he croaked out, “Yes, just give me a minute.”

            Casey stared at him, his dark eyes shimmering.  “Did I say something that bothered ya’?”

            “No!” Don answered quickly and little louder than necessary.  Lowering his voice, he said, “I’m flattered that you felt comfortable enough to share some things with me.  I just . . . you know, think it’s dangerous to stay here any longer.”  To himself, Don added, _“For more reasons than one.”_

            “Then you’re okay with what I told ya’?”  Casey placed his other hand on the wall, this time next to Don’s opposite shoulder.

            “Um, sure,” Don said, worried that Casey was having second thoughts about sharing his secret.  “I’m happy you said something because I sort of wondered.  I can keep it to myself.”

            Casey smiled at him then, his entire demeanor brightening.  “Ya’ sure are great, Donnie.  I knew we could work this out.  I can be discreet too, if that’s what ya’ think is best.”

            “I th . . . think that would be a good idea,” Don said, thinking about how Leo would take the news and shuddering slightly.

            The quick mental vision of Leo slicing Casey in half with his katanas was pushed out of his head when the boy leaned forward suddenly and placed a slow, lingering kiss to the corner of Don’s mouth.

            “Come on,” Casey said to a stunned Donatello, taking the turtle’s hand and guiding him towards their exit point.  “Let’s get out of here while there’s still a rainy night to hide in.  We’ll have plenty of time to talk again later.”

            Don was sure that meant the next conversation would involve Raph, who would no doubt remind his brother why it would be healthier for Don to keep his mouth shut.


	33. 33. Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 962  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG

            There were certain expectations that Don had always had out of life.  One of them was that he and his brothers would forever be close and that no matter what friends or enemies came into their lives, they would stick together.

            The last year had brought about a lot of changes for their family and it had all begun the night that Master Splinter had allowed them to venture topside for the first time.  It was then that Donatello had seen his first live human girl and it had been love at first sight.  A night of firsts.

            From that moment on, April O’Neil had been a dominating figure in his life.  Though he knew that she saw him as just a friend, Don had never let go of the hope that one day she would wake up and realize that he could be so much more.

            They had their ups and downs of course, the lowest point being when her father had mutated into a giant bat and April had been so upset she’d never wanted to see them again.  But time and April’s experiences with meeting Casey and being hunted by Karai and the Kraang had brought the girl back to them.  Back to Don.

            April had kissed Don after he’d answered her call for help and saved her from their enemies.  It was his first kiss and his feet didn’t touch the ground for days afterwards.  Casey might have gotten a hug for his part in the rescue, but Don got the kiss.

            Now as Don and Casey made their way through the sewer tunnels trying to avoid the Kraang who were down there looking for them, Don had another kiss to think about.  His second kiss ever had come from another human friend and that one happened to be Casey Jones himself.

            The more Don thought about it, the more he realized that Casey’s kiss had been nothing like the thank you kiss April had given him.  In all actuality, Casey’s kiss had been more like the kind Don dreamed of sharing with April.

            After they had left their hiding place, Don had started to grow uncomfortable with having Casey holding his hand.  He felt strong enough to move without guidance, so Don had extricated himself from Casey’s hold and grabbed his bo staff, using that as an excuse for needing both of his hands.

            All Don could think about was how Raph would react if he rounded the corner and found his lover holding hands with his brother.  Raph was already angry enough about the amount of time Casey spent with Don.

            When Don figured out that Casey and Raph had a thing going, he thought that Raph’s anger _was_ because Don was trying to steal his friend.  Now Don thought about that kiss and about the way Casey had touched him when trying to help the circulation return to the turtle’s extremities.

            Maybe the problem was that Casey had a wandering eye and having secured Raph as a lover, wanted Don as well.  That would certainly account for the amount of jealous anger Raph was shooting in his direction.  Raph probably thought Don wanted the attention from Casey and was leading him on.

            Don thought about stopping Casey and quickly explaining to him that Don’s interests didn’t lie in that direction, but then he realized how embarrassed and idiotic he’d feel if Casey denied everything.  Or worse, if they met up with Raph and Casey told him that Don assumed the boy was interested in him.  It was even possible that Casey was playing up to Don because for some reason he _wanted_ Raph to be jealous.  Raph would probably punch Don and then laugh at him before going back to the lair and telling April.

            That was the one thing that made Don’s blood run cold.  He did not want to be embarrassed in front of April, nor did he want her to think he didn’t like her anymore.  Whatever happened, Don decided he’d keep his mouth shut about the whole kissing thing and pretend it didn’t happen.

            He would also do his best to make sure that Casey and Raph were together as much as possible.  Don knew that wasn’t going to sit well with Leo, especially after their oldest brother had tried to wrangle Don into separating Raph from his best friend.

            Leo’s expectations of Don were too high.  Don concluded that Leo was just going to have to fight his own battles.

            “Ya’ doing okay there, pal?” Casey asked, breaking into Don’s thoughts.

            “I’m fine,” Don told him.  “I see a ladder up ahead.  Is that our exit?”

            “Yeah, it goes up to a courtyard between two apartment buildings,” Casey answered.  “It’s pretty far away from where the Kraang set up their ambush, so we should be safe.  Hope you’re ready to get wet, ‘cause I can hear the rain.”

            “I’d rather get wet up there than stay down here with the Kraang,” Don said, adding to himself, _“Or with you.”_

            “Ya’ go on up first and I’ll be ready to brace ya’ if your legs give out,” Casey said.  “Take your time; I’ll keep my eyes on our back trail.”

            Don didn’t argue the point since he was more than ready to go home.  He was very happy to find that his arms and legs responded like normal, making his climb up the ladder a swift one.

            He also had no difficulty with the heavy manhole cover.  Sliding it aside, Don hesitated for a second as cold rain pelted his face, and then he started to clamber out of hiding.

            In a flash, both of Don’s arms were suddenly grabbed in a tight, vise like grip.


	34. 34. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,143  
> Summary: Written as part of the 100 Theme Challenge. I am trying my hand at the 2k12 series and have taken some liberties with Casey Jones since I began writing this before his character was introduced.  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG

            Don tried to pull away from whoever was holding him, although his position was precarious and didn’t afford him a lot of leverage.  After a second or two he realized that the hands on his arms were green and had gotten so strong from years of holding the handle of a katana.

            “Is everything okay up there?” Casey called, his voice conveying concern.

            “Yes,” Don quickly answered, his eyes on Leo’s face.

            As his brother pulled Don through the opening, the genius turtle glanced around, spotting both Raph and Mikey nearby.

            “How ya’ feeling?” Raph asked him.

            Don leaned against the wall of one of the apartment buildings, enjoying the slight shelter offered by the overhang high above them.  “Much better.  Have you seen the Kraang?”

            Casey appeared in time to see Leo shake his head.  “After Raph brought April back to the lair, we came out and had a little running fight with them,” Leo said.  “Raph had a pretty fair idea of your general location, so we led the Kraang away from you.”

            “April’s safe?” Don asked, standing up straight.

            “Yeah, she’s fine,” Raph said, staring fixedly at Don.  “What took the two of you so long to come up out of the sewers?”

            “The Kraang didn’t leave,” Casey answered for him.  “There were still a few of them down there ‘cause they didn’t see Don when April and ya’ took off.”

            “Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t move,” Don said sarcastically, exhaustion making him cranky.

            “They even tried imitating your voice Raph,” Casey said.  “They’re getting tricky.”

            The rain was starting to let up and Don could see stars through openings in the clouds.  He would have enjoyed the sight a whole lot more if he didn’t realize how visible they were about to become.

            “We have to go, they’ve programmed every human who is wearing a necklace to howl when they see one of us,” Don said nervously.

            “Raph told us about it,” Leo said.  “After Mikey discovered that all of you were missing and told me.”

            “You guys are lucky it wasn’t Master Splinter or Mr. O’Neil who walked into the lab and saw that everyone was gone,” Mikey added.

            Don was about to remind them again that someone could look out of an apartment window at any moment, when Leo began leading the way to the nearest fire escape.

            Once they were on the roof tops where there was much less chance they’d be seen, the group began running in the direction of the lair.  Don was worried that Casey would have a problem with his footing on the rain slick roofs, but apparently the time Casey spent on ice gave him an uncanny balance.

            Overcome with curiosity, Don ran to catch up with Leo and asked, “How did you find us?”

            “Mikey and I left through the door in your lab at the same time that Raph was coming back with April,” Leo said.  “He told us what had happened and after we got rid of the Kraang we used the tracker in your phone to find out where you were.  When we saw that you were on the move, we anticipated where the two of you would come up.”

            “Oh,” Don said, feeling foolish now that he knew how simple that had been.  “Is April going to tell her dad what happened?”

            Leo glanced over at Don with a displeased expression on his face.  “No and neither are we, but you and Raph shouldn’t have gone out there by yourselves.”

            Raph was close enough to hear him and jumped in on the conversation.  “Casey needed us to do this for his mom,” he said.  “We didn’t want to hear a lecture on how it wasn’t safe.  If it had been Master Splinter worrying you wouldn’t even argue.”

            “I’m not arguing now,” Leo told him.  “It would have been better if you and I had gone instead, because the Kraang aren’t as interested in us.”

            “Casey didn’t ask you or me, he asked Donnie,” Raph said.

            Don could hear the edge in Raph’s voice and there was no mistaking the sidelong glare Raph sent in his direction.

            “Who should have come to me with the problem, since I’m the leader,” Leo said, also shooting a hot look Don’s way.  “If he had thought it through, he would have known Casey would get out of bed and come after you guys.”

            It was a subtle but effective reminder to Don that Leo had made it clear he wanted Raph and Casey to have as little interaction as possible.  Don felt his indignation start to rise; he hadn’t agreed to take that on for Leo and resented his brother’s assumption that he’d roll over and do that for him.

            This however wasn’t the time or place for starting that kind of argument.  If Don brought it up in front of Raph, then Raph would lay into Leo wanting to know why he felt the need to butt into Raph’s friendship with Casey.

            Both Leo and Raph would lose their temper, as they often did when fighting about something that on the surface appeared trivial.  It would eventually lead to one or the other saying the really hurtful thing they were holding back.  Like Raph announcing to the world that Casey and he were together.

            Casey had expressed a desire to remain discreet and Don wasn’t sure how he’d take a declaration that would out him.  He might get angry enough to call it off with Raph and turn his interest back to April.

            Or Leo might get upset enough to ban Casey from the lair.  Don didn’t like that thought at all, though he wasn’t sure why.  Maybe he was getting used to Casey being around, or that he felt like he owed the guy.  After all, Casey had saved his life a couple of times.

            So Don bit his tongue and dropped back a ways to run alongside Mikey.  His youngest brother hadn’t said much, but when Don looked over at him, Mikey’s blue eyes were twinkling with mischievous good humor.  Those same eyes glanced across to where Casey was running and then came back to Don, just before a large grin spread across his face.

            The expression on Mikey’s face irked Don.  Why was he always implying that there was something amusing about Don and Casey doing things together?  Why the heck should Don be embarrassed that Casey wanted to be friends with him?

            A quick flash of stubbornness hit Don then.  Raph didn’t want him around Casey, April preferred when they were separated, and Mikey found their friendship amusing because he thought Don didn’t like Casey.

            Don decided he’d show them.  Turning his nose up at Mikey, Don changed direction and moved over to run next to Casey.


	35. 35. Hold My Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 802  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG

            When they entered the lair through the lab’s side door the first thing that Don noticed was that the lights had been dimmed.  The second was April as she stepped out of a shadowed corner to greet them.

            “April!” Don called, relieved to see her.  “Are you okay?”

            “I’m fine, Donnie,” she answered as she rushed over to him.  Her quick hug was immensely satisfying.  “How are you?  You’re not still hurt?”

            She had a solid grip on his arm as she peered up into his face.  The worried look in her eyes made him blush.

            “It’s worn off,” Don told her.  “Why were you waiting here in the dark?”

            “I turned the lights off everywhere in the lair and closed all the bedroom doors.  I was afraid my dad or Master Splinter might get up and wonder where everyone was.  I wanted them to think we were all asleep,” April explained.

            “So no one knows we were out tonight?” Leo asked.

            April shook her head.  “I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble.”

            “Your clothes and hair are wet,” Don fussed.  “You should have dried off and changed.”

            “Those other things were my first priority,” April argued, “and I wanted to be here when you guys returned so I’d know everyone was safe.”

            “We’re _all_ just fine Red, thanks for waiting up,” Casey said.  “Why don’t ya’ head off to bed now and let Donnie get some rest?”

            “Why don’t you go change into some of the dry clothes that Raph and Don risked their lives to retrieve for you and I’ll make sure Don gets tucked in,” April retorted.

            “I didn’t exactly know that they’d be in that kind of danger,” Casey snapped back.  “If you hadn’t insisted on coming along when I went to rescue them then Raph and I could have brought Don home a lot sooner than this.”

            “You didn’t rescue m. . . .” Raph began to say but April cut him off.

            “If I hadn’t been there to lure the Kraang away from Don, they would have swarmed all three of you,” April said, glaring at Casey.

            “Oh so now ya’ think ya’ saved our butts?” Casey asked sarcastically.

            “The only one I was worried about saving was Don’s,” April told him and then blushed, realizing how her words had sounded.  “I mean, I was concerned about Donnie.”

            Don felt his mouth slide up into the smile that usually appeared when April said or did something that made him happy.  He didn’t much care that Raph always told him he looked goofy or a little creepy; April had just told everyone that her only worry tonight had been for him.

            “Yeah, well if ya’ were that concerned you’d get out of the way and let _me_ help Don to his room,” Casey said.  “I’m the one that’s been with him all night and seen what he went through.  If he starts having problems again ya’ ain’t gonna know what to do.”

            “I’m perfectly capable of calling his _brothers_ for help,” April stressed.  “That’s exactly all that you would do.”

            “Look kid, you’re starting to get on my last . . . .”  Casey’s diatribe was interrupted by Mikey.

            “If you two don’t keep it down, you’re gonna wake the grown-ups,” Mikey said.  “That sort of defeats the purpose of hiding that we went out tonight.”

            April scowled at Casey one last time then turned to Don, “Here Donnie, hold my hand in case you start to feel woozy and let’s get you into bed,” April said, with a bright smile.

            With their hands intertwined, April started to pull him out of the lab and Don followed without argument, barely noticing that his feet were still touching the floor. 

            “That ain’t right,” Casey protested.

            “Come on Casey,” Raph said in a soothing tone of voice.  “Take your backpack and go change your clothes.  I’ll fix up the couch for you to sleep on since you don’t need to be babied anymore.”

            Don paused when he heard that, pulling April to a stop as he turned to say, “You’re still fighting an infection Casey, you need to stay dry and warm.”

            “I got this Dr. Don,” Raph said a bit snidely.  “You just worry about you.”

            “ _We_ will,” April said, responding for Don.  Pulling at Don’s hand, she told him, “Enough stalling, I can’t get cleaned up until I know you’ve been taken care of.”

            When Don began walking again, April wrapped her other hand around his arm so that she could press closer to him.  On cloud nine, Don didn’t notice that April had glanced back over her shoulder.

            He also didn’t notice the self-satisfied look she shot in Casey’s direction.  Or the way Casey’s eyes narrowed in response.


	36. 36. Precious Treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,142  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this chapter by the talented Dragona15 on DeviantArt.

            “April, you really don’t have to come all of the way inside with me,” Don said, flushing as he stood in the doorway to his bedroom.

            His mind, already overly tired, was making a quick mental inventory of how he’d left his bedroom.  It wasn’t as messy as Mikey’s tended to be, but it wasn’t nearly as tidy as he’d want it to be for April’s first time inside.

            “Nonsense,” April said in a firm tone.  “I said I’d tuck you in and I meant it.  I know you Donatello.  If I don’t make sure you’re actually in bed, you’ll find some project to work on before you get there.”

            “I w . . . won’t,” Don stuttered.  “I promise.”

            “Stop stalling,” April insisted, planting her hands firmly on his plastron and pushing against him.  “Where’s your light switch?”

            It wasn’t that April was strong enough to move him, or that she even had the leverage to do so, it was the fact that Don was self-programmed to do anything she said.  With a short nervous chuckle, he backed up and let her into the room.

            “Hang on, I’ll turn on a lamp,” Don said hurriedly.  Having consigned himself to having April in his room, Don opted to avoid the bright overhead lights in the hope that the lamp would leave some of his space shadowed enough so that she wouldn’t notice the disorganization.

            The lamp next to his bed was the smallest and that was the one Don switched on.  He realized suddenly that there was a picture of her on his bedside table, a candid shot he’d taken that she didn’t know about.

            Don glanced up quickly, his cheeks reddening, but April had her head turned as she looked around the room.  In a flash, Don grabbed the photo and slid it beneath his mattress.

            “Are you sure you don’t want to take a hot shower?” April asked.

            “No, no, I’m fine,” Don said quickly, a mental picture of April standing there waiting for him to rinse off flitting through his head.  “The rain washed the dirt away.  I just need to take off my wet things and slide under the blankets.”

            He said it in a dismissive way, hoping she’d get the message and leave, but instead she crossed over to him and said, “Give them to me; I’ll go hang them in the bathroom so they can dry.”

            “Could you . . . uh, turn around?” Don asked, knowing he was blushing vividly.

            April gave him an odd look, probably wondering how he could be so shy about undressing when what he wore didn’t actually cover anything.  Shrugging her shoulders, she spun around, tapping her foot as she waited; one hand out to accept his things as he took them off.

            Don set a record in removing his gear, jumping into bed when everything was off except his mask.  Reaching back to untie the knot, Don said, “You can turn around now.”

            When April faced him, Don handed her the mask and pulled his blanket up to his chest.

            “That’s much better,” April said with a satisfied smile.  “Do you need anything else?”

            “No,” Don said, feeling less self-conscious now that he was under the blanket.  “Thanks April, for everything.  You know, helping Casey find us and then covering for us so Master Splinter wouldn’t get angry that we’d gone out.”

            April contemplated him for a moment, then said, “We’re all in this together, Donnie.  There’s no way I could ever sit around if I thought you were in danger.  As for me trying to hide the fact that we went out, I did that for me too.  My dad would flip.”

            As she headed for the door, Don called after her, “Goodnight, April.”

            With her hand on the doorknob, April replied, “Goodnight, Donnie.  Lights out.”

            The door closed gently as Don switched off the lamp.  Fluffing his pillow, Don laid back, a broad smile on his face.  April had said she couldn’t stand the idea of his being in danger.  Well, not exactly those words, but something to that effect.  It made his whole horrible night so much brighter.

            April was very much a precious treasure to Donatello.  Not like the kind of treasure you try to own, but the kind that brings joy to your life just because they are in it.  There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.

            As his thoughts traveled along that path, Don suddenly heard the sound of his door opening.  Don wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it could only have been a few minutes so he figured April was coming back to check on him.

            Turning his head, Don saw the door close behind the shadowed form, leaving the room dark.  Frowning, Don sat up to turn on the lamp when the bed dipped down next to him and a strong hand grabbed his arm.

            “Don’t turn on the lights, I don’t want Raph to know I snuck in here,” Casey whispered.

            Don reached under his pillow where he kept a small pencil flashlight and turned it on.  It gave off enough illumination for Don to see that Casey was wearing nothing but a fresh bandana across his forehead and a pair of gray shorts.

            “You didn’t need to check on me,” Don said nervously, afraid that Raph would come looking for the boy.

            “I didn’t come to check on you,” Casey said, leaning towards Don.  “I came to be with you.”

            “What are you tal . . . ?”  Before Don could ask the question, Casey yanked the blankets back, fully exposing Don’s body.

            Wrapping an arm around Don’s shoulder, Casey pressed against him.  Surprised by the unexpected action, Don grabbed onto the boy.

            “I guess I ain’t too great with words, ‘cause ya’ haven’t been getting my message,” Casey said in a husky tone.  “So I’ll just show ya’.”

            Pressing a hand to Don’s face, Casey kissed him, right on the mouth.  There was no mistaking the gesture as something more than friendship, because Casey tongue was insistently asking for a way inside.

            His system completely overloaded by a whole slew of strange new sensations, Don opened his mouth and Casey’s tongue immediately took possession.

            Holding onto Casey for dear life, Don shuddered and started to kiss back.

            Don’s eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright, his heart hammering in his chest.  The room was pitch black and Don’s hands shook as he turned on the lamp to verify that he was alone.

            It was just a dream; really vivid, very life like, but just a dream.  Don clutched at the blankets and laughed in relief.

            After a second his mouth snapped shut as a thought struck him.  Why was he having that kind of dream about Casey?


	37. 37. Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 833  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the talented Elileo on DeviantArt.

            Don opened his eyes reluctantly and glanced at his clock, finding he’d awakened ten minutes before his alarm was due to go off.

            Groaning, Don closed his eyes again and wondered how he’d make it through practice.  His body didn’t really feel sore; it just seemed like all of the nerve endings were firing at once.

            Unless they were demonstrably ill, Master Splinter would not release them from practice.  Since the events of the prior evening had to be kept secret, Don wouldn’t be able to bail.

            A sudden thought struck him and Don sat up quickly.  There was no way that Master Splinter would miss the fact that Casey had fresh clothes.

            Untangling himself from his blankets, Don stumbled around disjointedly as he pulled on his gear.  They hadn’t agreed upon a story to explain Casey’s clothes.  All they had agreed to do was to not tell Master Splinter or Mr. O’Neil what had happened to them the night before.

            Maybe they would have gotten around to discussing something as important as a cover story if April hadn’t insisted that Don go directly to bed.  Having April so worried about him had sort of pushed other concerns out of Don’s head.  There had been a wonderful moment between them before she’d left and Don had fallen asleep thinking about her.

            And then nearly had a wet dream about Casey.

            Don stopped suddenly, one knee pad halfway up his leg as the memory of that dream hit him full force.  Most dreams disappeared from his mind as soon as he woke up; others lingered only as tiny disjointed flashes.

            Rarely did he have a dream that was vivid enough for Don to remember nearly every single thing about it.  Now that he was awake enough, the dream came flooding back.  He could feel Casey’s hands on his skin, the heat from Casey’s body soaking into him.  Don could even remember Casey’s scent and how his mouth had tasted.

            Slightly dizzy, Don sat heavily on his bed.  He believed in the theory that dreams were a part of the subconscious mind that grappled with problems.  It seemed logical to think that the mind noticed, understood, and stored things for future reference so as not to interfere with the part of the brain needed for waking functions.

            Don had been going in circles trying to understand why Casey had been hanging around him so much.  No one idea fit Casey’s behavior perfectly; it was like trying to place the wrong size pieces into a puzzle.

            He finally believed that he’d grasped the answer.  Casey liked him.  No, more than like.  Casey was attracted to him.

            Casey had admitted to being bi-sexual and Don had thought it was the boy’s way of informing him that he liked both April and Raph.  When Casey had said that guys were more his speed, Don figured it meant that he and Raph were in a relationship.  Don had been relieved because he was sure that Casey was hinting that he didn’t want April, which gave Don an open field in that direction.

            That wasn’t it at all.  Casey wanted to be with Don, the boy just wasn’t very good at stating things clearly.  Don laughed without humor; if he wanted to be honest with himself the truth was that he wasn’t very good at catching hints.

            What was it that Casey had said while his hands were all over Don’s legs?  _“Maybe we can get together after this and learn some stuff about each other.”_

            Don was tempted to hit himself in the head with his bo staff.  How could he be so clueless as to not understand what Casey was hinting at?  Not to mention the kiss that just barely missed being right on Don’s lips.

            The dream was Don’s subconscious mind putting those puzzle pieces where they belonged.  It also seemed to be telling him that he might be interested in Casey as well.  Since Don wasn’t able to immediately dismiss that thought, he began to blush.

            No!  Don jumped off the bed and yanked the rest of his gear on, tying his mask with angry jerks.  He would not do that to Raph and he sure as shell wouldn’t allow Casey to hurt his brother that way either.

            The first chance Don got, he was going to pull Casey aside and tell him that he shouldn’t have started something with Raph if he wasn’t committed to being faithful.  Since they were already together, Casey was going to have to honor whatever agreement the two of them had. 

            That meant that Casey couldn’t be with April and he couldn’t be with Don.  The days of his roaming eyes were over and Casey was going to have to accept it.

            If Casey had a problem with that, Don was quite capable of getting tough with him.  Shoving his bo into place against his shell, Don stormed out of his room with a purpose.


	38. 38. Abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,679  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don stormed out of his room full of righteous indignation, ready to feed Casey a dose of cold hard reality.

            When he was about to turn into the great room, Don heard a feminine giggle and pulled up short.  It wasn’t April’s voice that stopped him though; it was the fact that the sound was accompanied by a deeper masculine rumble.

            Flattening himself against the wall, Don peeked around the corner towards the couch.  Seated there side by side were Casey and April, their heads practically touching as they stared at the open school book on April’s lap.

            Casey said something that Don couldn’t quite catch, sending April into another peel of laughter.  Don had never seen anything in a trigonometry book that warranted that kind of humor, which led him to believe they probably weren’t talking about that particular subject.

            Their interactions were much too intimate as far as Don was concerned.  Only a few short hours ago they were snapping at each other and now Casey was behaving as though April was the center of his world.  Don was amazed that Casey had the audacity to be so brazen right there in the middle of the lair, considering anyone could walk in on them.

            In the next second Don was nearly startled out of his skin by the sound of Raph shouting, “No, no, no!”

            Fearing the worst, Don reached for his bo staff, ready to jump in and break up a fight between his brother and Casey.  Before he could move though, he heard the _ding, ding_ of the pinball machine.

            Frowning, Don leaned further out and spotted Raph standing in front of the game.  Mikey was leaning against the backbox grinning at his brother, whose glare would have melted a lesser turtle.

            Slowly replacing his bo, Don processed what he was seeing.  Although they were only a few feet from him, Raph seemed unperturbed by the apparent flirtation happening between Casey and April.

            Don pulled back from his perusal and leaned against the wall.  It was pretty obvious now that any discussion he had with Casey about staying true to Raph didn’t require a warning about April. 

            Casey had claimed that he thought it was ‘cool’ when Don admitted that April might like him.  The boy was clearly willing to enjoy April’s attention right in front of Raph, an occurrence that seemed to indicate that Casey’s bi-sexual interests didn’t bother the red banded turtle.

            What was it that Raph had said during their heated exchange while they were hiding in Casey’s closet?  He’d told Don _“I’m not worried about her motives but I should be able to trust you”._   Raph had also said _“Just because_ you _think he’s after April doesn’t mean that he really is”._

            If their conversation hadn’t been interrupted, would Raph have said that Casey was simply toying with April?  Raph’s jealousy certainly didn’t extend as far as April, so he wasn’t concerned about losing Casey to her.

            Raph had been expressing a great deal of jealousy about Casey spending time with Don.  That had to mean that Raph knew about Casey’s wandering eyes.

            Don’s face started to burn.  Raph knew.  Raph had known all along and instead of talking to his ‘boyfriend’ about his behavior, he’d instead chosen to pick at his own brother.

            There was no satisfaction in this apparent corroboration of Don’s theory that Casey wanted to be with him, all it did was make him angry at Casey _and_ Raph.  Why should Don have to be placed in the position of telling Casey to back off when Raph should be handling that himself?

            From the corner of his eye, Don saw Leo heading into the kitchen and instantly changed course to follow his oldest brother.  He had to seriously rethink his approach to both Casey and Raph in light of this latest revelation.

            Despite his current inner turmoil, Don was happy to note that there was a pan on the stove containing leftover scrambled eggs.  Seeing Leo pouring out a glass of orange juice for himself, it became obvious that Don was the last one to breakfast.  At least they’d left him something; Mikey’s eggs were ten times better than anything Don had ever attempted to make.

            Leo glanced up at Don as he came in and said, “Those eggs are all yours.  Eat up; practice starts in fifteen minutes.”

            The greeting wasn’t exactly cold, but it wasn’t warm either.  Leo didn’t blow his top about things the way Raph did; he just held a grudge and took it out on the offender by slowly slicing little strips off of them.  Don often thought that as much as anything was the reason Master Splinter had given Leo the katanas.

            Don wasn’t in the mood for that little game however.  He had come out of his room with the intention of laying into Casey and since he couldn’t do that, then Leo was a good substitute.

            “Good morning to you too and thank you for asking Leo, but I think I can manage practice this morning.  My motor skills are a bit sluggish from the electrical shock I received last night, but since we’re hiding that from father, I’ll just have to push through.  Your concern is touching,” Don said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

            “That was entirely your own fault,” Leo shot back sharply.

            “I knew you were going to throw that in my face the first chance you got,” Don told him.  “You’re turning into a control freak.”

            “I’m the leader, Donnie,” Leo said in an icy voice.  “It would be nice if you guys would remember that and stop leaving me out of things.”

            “Are you mad because we didn’t tell you we were going out or is the real reason you’re upset because you think Raph abandoned you?” Don asked.  “You’ve got it in your head that he’s trying to ditch you to be with Casey.  Don’t deny it; you even tried to manipulate me into coming between them.  Before you pop off about being the leader why don’t you handle your own problems with Raph instead of trying to use me?”

            “I don’t have a problem with Raph,” Leo asserted vehemently.  “I’m just tired of everyone forgetting we’re supposed to be a team.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to lead when the three of you make up your own rules?  When something goes wrong I’m the one Master Splinter comes down on about it, not you.”

            Don opened his mouth to make an angry retort but then shut it before anything came out.  Leo was right; it wasn’t easy being the leader considering how all four of them had very willful personalities.  Raph and Leo had already clashed about that once.  When Raph had taken charge and almost gotten them killed by Snakeweed they’d found out the hard way that Leo was the best at the job.

            “I’m sorry,” Don said contritely.  “We should have told you but I was afraid you’d say no and Casey was really worried about his mom.  You didn’t see his face when he asked me to do that for him.  Neither Raph or I anticipated there would be any problems.”

            That seemed to mollify Leo, whose facial expression relaxed.  “Just do me a favor and don’t leave me out of things again.”

            “I won’t,” Don promised.  “You have to do something for me though; have a calm, private conversation with Raph over what it is that bothers you about his friendship with Casey.  I don’t want to be part of your line of defense against someone in my own family.”

            Leo chuckled.  “I shouldn’t have asked, but you know how Raph is.  I was feeling . . . .”

            His sentence trailed off as though he was trying to think of the right word and Don filled in by adding, “Desperate?”

            “Something like that,” Leo admitted.  “You’d better eat, you’ll need the energy.  The rest of us will cover for you as much as we can during practice.”

            The mention of practice reminded Don of one of the things that had made him jump out of bed that morning.  “What are we going to tell Master Splinter about Casey’s clothes?” Don asked as he layered a piece of bread with the scrambled eggs.

            “We came up with a cover story while April was tucking you into bed,” Leo said, grinning when he saw Don’s blush.  “Raph and I went out last night.  We got the clothes and discovered that the Kraang have brainwashed people into giving off that howling signal.  The two of us made it home without incident.”

            “Simple and direct.  Avoiding a lie by telling only part of the whole story.  You are very sly Leonardo,” Don said with a laugh.

            “I’ll let the others know you’ve been briefed,” Leo said.  “I’m glad you’re okay, Donnie.”

            Leo left the kitchen and Don sighed with relief.  Leo would have his private conversation with Raph and get Raph to admit what was going on between him and Casey.  Then Leo would want to have a talk with Casey and straighten him out about a few things.

            That would take the burden off Don who could just avoid Casey for the day.  Whatever strange feelings Don was starting to have for the boy would fade  if he could manage not to spend any time with Casey.

            Adjusting his belt preparatory to heading into practice, Don heard the crinkle of paper and remembered the envelope that he’d grabbed off Casey’s refrigerator.  With an exasperated sigh, Don knew he’d have to talk to Casey at some point in order to give him the envelope that had been left by his mom.

            Giving Casey that envelope was all he’d do, Don decided.  Just hand it over and walk away.  Easy as that.  No lengthy conversation.  Put the envelope in Casey’s hand and leave.

            If it was that easy, Don asked himself, then why was he still thinking about it ten minutes later?


	39. 39. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,108  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don landed flat on his plastron directly in front of where April and Casey were sitting.

            Another few inches and his face would have connected with Casey’s foot.  It was not an auspicious start to the day.

            Although Leo had promised that his brothers would go easy on him during practice, Raph seemed to have missed that message.  Either that or he was purposely ignoring it, because the first time Raph had thrown Don on the floor, the battered turtle had noticed Leo frowning at their hot headed brother.

            If there had been an opportunity for Don to say anything, he would have told Leo to stop acting as if Raph’s actions were bothering him.  It hadn’t taken long into his sparring match with Raph for Don to realize he was in for it.  Raph was apparently still mad about Casey fighting with April over who was going to put Don to bed.  Having Leo try to dictate Raph’s anger out of him always made things worse.

            Don slowly rose to his feet, his face flushed with embarrassment as he tried to avoid looking into the pair of human eyes belonging to the spectators.  Raph was standing a few feet away, his arms crossed over his plastron and a smirk on his lips.

            “Yamete!” Master Splinter ordered, his voice ringing loudly through the dojo.

            Raph’s arms immediately fell to his sides as he bowed to his sensei before walking over to kneel next to Leo.  Don bowed as well, thankful that Master Splinter had put a stop to his beat down.

            Before Don could join his brothers, Master Splinter said, “Donatello, you are not fighting with your usual vigor.  Is there some problem I should be aware of?”

            “N . . . no Master Splinter,” Don stuttered.  He didn’t like lying to their father, so he followed Leo’s example and went with a half-truth.  “I didn’t sleep well last night, that’s all.”

            Master Splinter studied him for a moment and Don could almost feel his father’s dark eyes trying to probe the inside of his skull.

            “Bad dreams, my son?” Master Splinter asked, a knowing look on his face.

            Startled, Don’s eyes widened and he managed to croak out, “Y . . . yes Master Splinter.”

            If a hole had suddenly opened in the floor, Don would gladly have jumped into it.  Over and over in his head played the mantra, _‘please don’t ask, please don’t ask’_ ; a fervent hope that Master Splinter would not require details.

            “Do you wish to elaborate on them?” Master Splinter asked, watching Don closely.

            “No sensei,” Don said rather quickly, knowing his face was turning crimson.

            Master Splinter nodded.  “Very well.  Perhaps a nap following practice is in order.  Fatigue is not a ninja’s friend.”

            “Hai sensei,” Don said with a swift bow.  He scurried over to kneel next to Mikey before the heat in his face became even more noticeable to their father.

            Moving over to stand in front of his sons, Master Splinter surveyed them before saying, “Perhaps Donatello’s difficulty is the best lesson for today.  A strong mind and body requires adequate rest and youthful exuberance is not a substitute for that.  If there are tasks that require completion after dark, then you should allow for them and sleep earlier in the day.”

            He stopped speaking and contemplated them for a moment before continuing, “Sleep means closing your eyes and slipping into an unconscious state.  It does not include playing games, reading comic books, watching television, or laboratory experiments.  Do you understand, my sons?”

            There was a chorus of “Hai sensei” in response to his question.  Master Splinter looked over to where April and Casey were seated.

            “This lesson is appropriate for both of you as well,” Master Splinter told them.  “Have I made myself quite clear?”

            “Yes Master Splinter,” April answered.

            “Um, sure,” Casey responded and then grunted as April jammed her elbow into his side.  “Yes Master Splinter,” he amended quickly.

            “Very good.  You are all dismissed,” Master Splinter said.

            He remained where he was as everyone began to file out of the room.  Don had almost reached the door when Master Splinter called out, “Donatello.  Please give me a moment of your time.”

            Don nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected request, glancing with panicked eyes towards Leo.  His brother shook his head almost imperceptibly and Don took a deep breath before turning to walk towards his father.

            “Yes, Master Splinter?” Don asked in what he hoped was a carefree tone.

            “Donatello, certain types of dreams are to be expected from someone your age.  They are not shameful nor should you lose sleep in an attempt to avoid them,” Master Splinter said gently.

            “M . . . M . . . Master Splinter?” Don stammered in shock.

            Master Splinter chuckled lightly.  “Meeting a young woman who has captured your fancy is often the catalyst for such dreams.  Forcing yourself to stay awake is not the answer.  Those dreams are nature’s way of relieving you of built up frustration.  You should allow them to do their job.”

            Don wasn’t sure he could feel more embarrassed than he did at that moment, but somehow he managed to squeak, “Hai, sensei.”

            “Good,” Master Splinter said, setting a hand on Don’s shoulder and giving it a light squeeze.  “Now go and get some rest.”

            “Hai, sensei,” Don said once more before scuttling out of the door as fast as he could.

            Don didn’t even bother to look around the lair to find out where everyone was.  He didn’t want to encounter anyone after that conversation with his father for fear they’d see his humiliation.

            Master Splinter had guessed correctly about what type of dream had visited Don, but he was way off regarding the subject.  He had assumed it was April that Don was dreaming of and that’s who it should have been.  That’s who Don wished to encounter in his dreams.  Not Casey Jones.  That boy was already invading too many other aspects of Don’s life and having him usurp April’s place in his dreams was just too much.

            Heading straight for his room, Don intended to stay in there for as much of the day as he could manage.  At this point, taking refuge behind his locked bedroom door sounded like the best plan ever.

            That was until he stepped inside.  As he closed the door with a sigh of relief, something shifted in a shadowed corner of his room. 

            “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to wait too long for ya’ to show up,” Casey said, coming into the light.


	40. 40. Rated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,519  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The first words out of Don’s mouth after a moment of stunned silence were, “You shouldn’t be in here.”

            Casey had the decency to look properly abashed.  “Nobody saw me come in.  I was careful ‘cause I know ya’ want to be discreet.”

            Don could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on and knew it was partially due to the electrical shock he’d received and partially due to the stress of his personal situation.

            “Look Casey, there’s some stuff we need to talk about,” Don said.

            “That’s why I’m here,” Casey responded quickly, before Don had a chance to continue.  “Ya’ should sit down though; ya’ don’t look like you’re feeling too good.”

            “I’ll sit down once we’ve sorted this out,” Don told him stiffly.

            Casey took a step towards him, brow furrowed in puzzlement.  “What’s wrong?  Ya’ don’t seem like yourself.”

            “And I don’t think you really know me well enough to judge,” Don said.  “It took me a while to understand some things but now that I do it’s obvious that you’ve been operating under a misconception.”

            Casey stopped moving and stared at Don.  “A what?”

            Don had a feeling the boy knew exactly what he’d said, but explained anyway.  “A false idea about me; about the way I feel about things.”

            He didn’t really want to come out and say that he’d deduced that Casey had a crush on him, because if Don was wrong he’d be completely mortified.  On the other hand, Don had to clear up this situation before Raph or April got hurt.

            Casey seemed to think about that for a moment before looking at Don shrewdly.  “We haven’t been real clear with each other have we, Donnie?  I’ve hinting at stuff ‘cause I’m trying to figure out where your interests are but I keep forgetting you guys are younger than me.  You’ve been down here sheltered from the world so there’s lots of things ya’ don’t know about.  Relationship kinds of things.”

            “I may have been sheltered but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand there are things you just don’t do,” Don said hotly.  “One of those things is to try and come between two brothers.”

            “Two . . . ?”  Casey stopped himself, tipping his head to one side as he studied Don.  “You’re talking about Raph.”

            “Yes I’m talking about Raph,” Don said, amazed at how the boy could shrug off his boyfriend so easily.  “I think you know he wouldn’t like this one bit.  He’s already upset with me because he thinks I monopolize too much of your time.”

            “Look, I know I ain’t done stuff with Raph in a while but I’ll make it up to him,” Casey declared.  “I can explain the whole thing to him so he’ll know he won’t be losing my friendship.  We can work this out.”

            Don was flabbergasted.  How in the world could Casey believe that Don would want a relationship with him if it was so easy for Casey to blow off the one he was already in with Raph?

            “You can’t just dump him like that,” Don said, trying hard to keep his voice down.  “Raph’s invested in this . . . this thing with you and I’m not.  In fact, my interests lie in another direction entirely.”

            “Oh yeah?  Well what about that stuff in the tunnel?” Casey asked, once more drawing closer to Don.  “What about our talk?  How about the way ya’ reacted when I kissed ya’?  If ya’ didn’t like it, why didn’t ya’ say something or just slug me?”

            “Maybe because I didn’t know what was going on!” Don exclaimed.

            “Or maybe deep down ya’ did and ya’ wanted me to do those things.  Ya’ sure didn’t complain when my hands were all over your legs,” Casey said complacently.

            “I couldn’t move them and your massage was helping with that,” Don said.  “Didn’t you ever stop to think that I might be embarrassed by the attention?”

            Casey shrugged.  “I figured ya’ were shy.  Ya’ blush a lot and ya’ spend almost all your time working in your lab away from everybody.  I’ve met shy people before; ya’ gotta lead them until they start to feel comfortable.”

            “I’m not shy,” Don said, starting to get angry, “and I certainly don’t need you leading me anywhere.  I know my own mind just fine and I know what I want without your help.”

            “Do ya’?” Casey asked, coming to within a couple of feet of Don.  “Bad dreams my eye.  Nightmares don’t make green skin turn bright red or make ya’ stutter when you’re trying not to tell your dad what it was ya’ were really dreaming about.”

            “Exactly what do you think I was dreaming about?” Don asked before he realized the question played right into Casey’s hands.

            The corners of Casey’s mouth lifted into a self-satisfied smile.  “I think ya’ were dreaming about me.”

            “I was not!”  Don’s denial came out so quickly it nearly trampled on the end of Casey’s sentence.

            “I think ya’ dreamed about me kissing ya’ again,” Casey said smugly.

            “That just shows how much you know,” Don countered.  “It wasn’t you I was dreaming about.”

            He immediately wished he hadn’t opened his mouth as Casey’s face froze.  With calm deliberateness, the boy said, “Ya’ said your interests lie elsewhere.  Are ya’ leading me on, Donnie?”

            “What?  No!”  Don huffed in exasperation.  “This is ridiculous.  I didn’t even know you were thinking about me that way, so how could I be leading anything?”

            The entire discussion was starting to aggravate Don, who didn’t believe Casey rated such a lengthy explanation.  Don should have been able to simply tell him to back off and be done with it, but Casey was more obstinate than the turtle had realized.

            “Ya’ like April, don’t ya’ Donnie?” Casey asked.  “Remember when I asked if you two had something going?  Ya’ told me you were close friends.  How close?  Is that why she dragged ya’ away from me last night?”

            “My relationship with April is no concern of yours,” Don told him haughtily.  “What you need to concentrate on is Raph and how you’re going to fix things so he isn’t mad at me anymore.”

            “I . . . .” Casey began.

            “And you’re going to do it without hurting him,” Don interrupted.  “You’re important to Raph.  He needs something in his life that’s just his; something he doesn’t have to share with his brothers.”

            There was an odd look on Casey’s face when Don stopped speaking.  “Just because ya’ grew up with him doesn’t mean ya’ know everything about Raph,” Casey said.  “We value our friendship but it isn’t me he needs.”

            “What are you talking about?” Don demanded.  He was reminded of his conversations with Raph and how his brother kept speaking in riddles.

            Casey shook his head.  “That isn’t for me to tell ya’,” Casey said.

            Don’s lips tightened.  He had the distinct feeling that Casey was trying to throw him off track by hinting that he and Raph had some kind of liberal arrangement.  If that were true, Raph wouldn’t have been acting like a jealous lunatic.

            Turning, Don grasped the handle on his door and began to open it.  “I think you need to leave . . . .”

            Don wasn’t finished speaking when Casey slapped his palm against the door and shoved, closing the door with a bang.  He was only inches from Don but when the turtle tried to pull his hand away so he could step back, Casey caught his arm.

            “Ya’ want to know something I learned from playing hockey?” Casey asked.

            The boy’s dark eyes were sparkling dangerously and Don couldn’t look away.  He had no idea what hockey had to do with anything, so he simply shook his head and replied, “What?”

            “Quitters don’t win,” Casey said slowly and distinctly.

            Before Don had a chance to respond to that, Casey leaned forward and planted a kiss squarely on the turtle’s mouth.  The move was fast and then Casey backed off, opening the door enough so he could make sure the coast was clear.

            “Think about that,” Casey said before darting into the hall.

            For a second Don was completely flustered but then he remembered something.  “Wait,” he hissed, coming part way into the hall.

            “Yeah?” Casey asked, a grin twitching the corners of his mouth.

            Don fished the envelope from Casey’s mom out of his belt, his hand shaking a little as he did so.  “This was on your refrigerator.  I kept forgetting to give it to you.”

            Casey’s smile faded as he accepted the envelope and saw his mother’s handwriting.  “It’s not like ya’ didn’t have other things going on,” Casey said, his tone suddenly dull.

            Head down, Casey turned away.  His entire demeanor seemed to droop; a complete change from how he’d been just moments before.

            Despite their disagreement, Don immediately felt sad for the boy.  He wanted to say something comforting, but Casey had disappeared around the corner.

            With a confused sigh, Don retreated into his room.


	41. 41. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,348  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don sat on his bed and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth.  He’d just had what could be deemed as his first romantic kiss and it had come from Casey Jones.

            That was not how the event had played out in all of Don’s fantasies.  In his daydreams it was April with whom he shared his first kiss.  It usually happened after Don had done something incredibly brilliant that made April realize she’d had feelings for him all along.

            He didn’t seem any closer to accomplishing that, though he had developed a retromutagen that had worked on April’s father.  It had earned him a hug and another kiss on the cheek and Don had certainly enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really a progression of their relationship.

            Don wished he wasn’t so shy and awkward when he was around April.  Casey didn’t act that way when he was near April; just the opposite, the boy often behaved as though he couldn’t care less if she was there or not.  It wasn’t the polite friendliness of Don’s brothers, it was a completely nonchalant attitude that Casey exhibited.

            The funny thing was the more that Casey seemed aloof, the more determined April was about getting him to pay attention to her.  Was that the secret that Casey knew about women that Don didn’t?  April was the only female in his life so Don had no frame of reference to judge these things on.

            Lost in his thoughts, Don had no idea how much time had passed when someone suddenly knocked on his door.  Startled, he looked up but made no attempt to stand.  He wasn’t in the mood for company and certainly not ready for Casey if it was the boy coming back for more.

            His hopes that whoever it was would go away were dashed when the handle on his door started to move.  Belatedly he realized that he’d neglected to lock it.

            Don jumped up but before he could dash over and block the door, it opened enough to admit Mikey.  As his brother shut the door behind him, Don sank back down on the bed.

            “I guess you’re not sleeping,” Mikey said, just the faintest touch of a smile on his face.

            “I didn’t say you could come in, Mikey,” Don said irritably.

            “You didn’t say I couldn’t either,” Mikey said, unfazed by Don’s ill humor.

            Rubbing his forehead which still faintly throbbed, Don asked, “What do you want?”

            Mikey bounced over to Don’s desk, pulled the chair out and straddled it.  “I wanted to see how you were holding up after your talk with Casey.”

            “My talk with . . . .” Don stopped and glared at Mikey.  “What talk?”

            Mikey crossed his arms on top of the chair back and leaned forward.  “The one that had Casey walking out of here like a whipped puppy.  What did you say to him?”

            “What makes you think anything I do is your business?” Don countered.

            “Aw come on, Donnie.  Don’t be like that,” Mikey said with a pout.  “I’m just trying to help.”

            “Why do I get the feeling that the only one you’re trying to help is yourself?” Don asked, looking at his younger brother suspiciously.  “What is up with all of this spying you’ve been doing lately?”

            Mikey shrugged, his expression of humorous expectation never wavering.  “It’s not like you guys would ever tell me anything.  I’ve learned how to find out stuff on my own.  I’ve also learned how to keep it to myself, in case you were wondering.”

            “I wasn’t,” Don snapped. 

            Instead of responding, Mikey just sat there looking at him.  After a couple of minutes, Don couldn’t take it anymore.

            “I have a headache, Mikey,” Don said pointedly.

            “That’s ‘cause you missed lunch,” Mikey responded glibly, refusing to take the hint.  “Know what?  So did Casey.  He’s washing the Shellraiser and not talking to anybody.  Not even April.  She went in there to try to get him to eat some lunch, but he chased her off after telling her he wasn’t hungry.”

            “Maybe he’s not hungry,” Don said, a knot of worry edging its way into his gut despite himself.

            “That’d be a first,” Mikey said.  “You gotta admit it looks fishy; you’re not eating, he’s not eating.  He pays you a secret visit and comes out looking like someone kicked his best puppy.  And you’re sitting on your bed staring into space.  With a headache.”

            For a second Don thought Mikey was saying space had a headache and then realized he must be more out of it than he’d thought.

            “Look, the only thing that happened was that I gave him a note from his mom,” Don said, knowing that he had to offer Mikey something or his brother would never leave.  “I’d forgotten about it in all the excitement of my first electroshock treatment.”

            “Oh.”  Mikey looked at him shrewdly and Don once more wondered why they’d ever thought he wasn’t very bright.  “I guess that means you never told him you had it.”

            “Right,” Don said and then immediately knew he’d stepped in it.

            “It’s funny how he snuck into your room to wait for you when he didn’t even know you had something for him,” Mikey said, pouncing directly on Don’s error.

            Don hated losing a verbal jousting match more than anything.  He certainly knew more words than Mikey did so he shouldn’t have been trapped so easily. 

            “There was just some stuff we needed to clarify.  Raph stuff,” Don added so that Mikey wouldn’t go down the wrong path.

            “Yeah, Raph stuff,” Mikey said, his grin a little more pronounced.  “Like how Raph keeps getting in between you two?”

            Exasperated, Don said, “There is no ‘us two’ for Raph to get between.  Casey is Raph’s friend.  The only thing going on is that he, like the rest of you, wants to take advantage of some of my technical skills.  When he spends time with me because of that Raph gets jealous.”

            Mikey stared at him for a minute and Don could almost feel those blue eyes boring into his head.  Very slowly he said, “Raph’s not jealous.”

            “What?  Of course he is,” Don told him.  “He keeps telling me I’m trying to steal his friend away.  Even you said he doesn’t want to share Casey.”

            “And he doesn’t, but that isn’t jealousy, that’s just Raph being mad at you for getting in the way,” Mikey said.

            “Getting in the way of what?” Don asked.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.  If you really came in here to help you’re doing a spectacularly bad job of it.”

            Mikey chuckled.  “You remember what Master Splinter said about how we need to learn to work together don’t you?  How we have to understand each other well enough to act as one for the greater good?”

            “What does teamwork have to do with Raph being mad at me?” Don asked, watching Mikey stand up and head for the door.

            “There’s something that Raph wants and Casey’s helping him to get it,” Mikey said.  “Or he was until he got side tracked by you.  You need to figure out how to get Casey focused again.  That’s what a team player does.”

            As he opened the door, Don stood up; suddenly as intent on Mikey not leaving as he was ten minutes earlier on wishing Mikey would go away.

            “You know something Mikey,” Don said.  “Just tell me straight out.”

            Mikey looked at him, blue eyes twinkling.  “If I told you the stuff I’ve guessed you’d just deny it,” Mikey said.  “It’s better to let things play out.  Take my advice though; don’t mope around in your room.  Casey’s really bummed and I have a feeling you’re the only one that can snap him out of it.  Raph sure would be a lot happier if Casey got back to normal.”

            Before Don could ask more questions Mikey was gone, leaving the door wide open and Don in an even greater state of confusion.


	42. 42. Standing Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 953  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Trying to solve problems by standing still and staring at an open doorway wasn’t his best choice for handling things, Don decided.  Neither was hiding in his room.  Both were cowardly and his father had taught him to face his challenges.

            Earlier Don had tried to hide behind the excuse that he needed a nap, but it was obvious now that he couldn’t sleep.  Mikey’s visit had only exacerbated the problem and now Don decided it was time to do something.

            What that something was he had no clue.  It was times like these that he wished he had Leo’s tactical brain or could at least ask Leo for his assistance.  If Leo wasn’t so immersed in the situation himself, Don would have gone that route.

            Leo had already expressed a desire for Don to monopolize Casey’s time and even though they’d talked that out, any attempt by Don to ask for help in that arena might be met by a quid pro quo request and Don would be back at square one.

            As his feet led him out of his room, Don tried to decide where they were taking him.  His first notion was to hunt down Mikey and throttle him until his younger brother confessed all he knew, but the chances of that working were slim to none.  For one thing, Mikey was nowhere to be seen and for another, Mikey treasured his secrets too much to give them up easily.

            His second notion was to get something to eat and that one was met by approval from his stomach.  Only then he was reminded that Mikey had said Casey had also skipped lunch.

            Don hesitated between turning towards the kitchen or proceeding over to the turnstiles and down to the track where the Shellraiser was parked.  It wasn’t that Don cared whether Casey Jones had eaten, the boy was certainly capable of feeding himself, it was just that the look on Casey’s face after he’d received the envelope from his mother was haunting the turtle.

            His empathy for Casey’s situation decided Don’s mind for him and he made for the track.  If a situation had arisen and Don couldn’t go near Master Splinter, he’d be downright miserable.  As far as Don knew, Casey’s mom was all the family he had in the city.

            Reaching the turnstiles, Don stopped near the wall and looked down at Casey.  The boy was stripped down to his sleeveless t-shirt, squatting near a bucket of sudsy water as he scrubbed the Shellraiser’s tire rims.

            Seeing the muscles in Casey’s bare arms flex as he worked brought back the memory of Don’s dream.  He’d seen Casey shirtless before, but never in such an erotic context.  For a moment all Don could do was stare.

            A hand suddenly touched his shoulder and Don nearly jumped out of his skin.  Turning his head, he saw that it was April.

            “Are you okay, Donnie?” April asked, looking concerned.

            Don took a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart.  “I’m fine, April.  You just startled me.”

            “Were you trying to figure out how to get Casey to stop and eat something too?” April asked, looking over at Casey.  The boy was still working on the rims and it didn’t seem that he’d heard them.

            “Uh, yeah,” Don said, agreeing quickly.  “Mikey said everyone else has tried and suggested I have a go at it.”

            “That would be good,” April said, patting his arm before removing her hand.  “If there’s anyone he’ll listen to, it would be you.”

            Don stared at her, unsure if there was some hidden meaning behind her words.  “He’s best friends with Raph,” Don finally said.

            April was still looking at Casey.  “I know, but he thinks you’re the smartest person he’s ever met.  When you say something it carries more weight with him than if it were to come from someone else.”

            “I think he . . . he just misses his mother,” Don said slowly.  “You’ve been through that.  Maybe you could give him some advice?”

            Don couldn’t believe he was suggesting that April offer Casey her shoulder to cry on.  That in and of itself was a good indication of how much Don dreaded opening up communications with Casey again.

            “I’m a girl,” April said, as though that wasn’t the most obvious thing in the world to Don.  “He’s not going to admit to me that he has those kinds of feelings.  It would ruin his ‘tough guy’ image.  Please Don?  If anyone can help him to feel better I just know it’s you.”

            April turned her face up to Don’s, her blue eyes wide and pleading.  Don could feel the goofy smile blooming on his countenance, though he’d told himself to stop being so obvious about his feelings when he was near her.

            “Okay,” Don heard himself say.  If she’d just asked him to jump into a vat of acid he’d probably agree in the same sing-song voice.

            “Great,” April said as she smiled at him.  “I helped Mikey make lunch and there are plenty of leftovers for both you and Casey.  You need to eat too; I know you were napping because of last night, but starving won’t help matters.”

            With that pronouncement April bounced away, leaving Don to stare after her, the smile still on his face.  Once she was out of sight, he shook his head and blinked as though coming out of a daze.

            A loud splash drew his attention back to the Shellraiser and Don saw that Casey had finally noticed him standing there.  Squaring his shoulders, Don pushed through the turnstile and walked down the stairs to join the boy.


	43. 43. Dying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,306  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview image created for this story by the amazing Dragona15 on DeviantArt.

            Casey watched Don’s approach without expression.  As he waited for the turtle to reach him, he grabbed a dry towel and stood up.

            The complete lack of emotion that Casey was showing as he dried his hands and arms took Don aback.  Don was used to seeing some outward sign of Casey’s cocky attitude and he found his poker face to be disconcerting.

            If Don hadn’t been sure how to start the conversation before, he was certainly at a loss for words now.  Casey was willing to pick up the verbal gauntlet though.

            “I didn’t interrupt something between you and April did I?  The two of ya’ was looking pretty cozy,” Casey said in a monotone.

            Belatedly Don remembered that during their earlier conversation Casey had asked how close he and April were.  He’d basically told Casey that was none of his business and it still wasn’t as far as Don was concerned.

            “She was telling me I should get you to come eat something,” Don said, trying not to sound defensive.  “April was the second one; Mikey came to my room earlier and suggested I talk to you about lunch.”

            Casey seemed to be studying the dirt under his nails as he said, “I told them I wasn’t hungry.  What’s the big deal?”

            “The big deal is that when you told them that you didn’t seem like yourself,” Don said.  “Didn’t you think that your friends might get worried?”

            “My friends.”  Casey looked up then, his dark eyes connecting with Don’s.  “That include you?”

            “Of course it does,” Don answered with a touch of exasperation.  “Why would you think otherwise?”

            “’Cause ya’ practically kicked me out of your room earlier,” Casey said, his lips turning upwards into the semblance of a smile, but there was no humor in his eyes.  The smile quickly left his mouth as he added, “Most people would take that as a pretty good indicator.”

            “You ambushed me in my own room,” Don replied.  “You started talking to me about relationships and how you think I feel about things without really listening to what I was trying to explain to you.  What did you expect?”

            “I guess I expected to hear a yes or no,” Casey answered.  “I ain’t exactly heard either.”

            “I thought I was clear when I said I didn’t want to hurt Raph,” Don said.  “That’s when you attacked my mouth.”

            “Seemed like the right thing to do at the time,” Casey said.  “Still does.”

            Don felt the familiar heat rising in his face again but didn’t know how to respond.  He hadn’t come looking for Casey in order to start this conversation again; Don was simply trying to be altruistic.

            Clearing his throat, Don said, “Look, I just wanted to check on you, that’s why I’m here.  You seemed upset after I gave you the envelope from your mom and then I found out you skipped lunch.  Mikey said you were in here washing the Shellraiser and not talking to anybody.”

            “It needed to be washed,” Casey said lamely.

            “Don’t think I don’t appreciate that,” Don said, trying to sound more lighthearted.  When that drew no response, Don tried a different tact.  “I know you want to see your mom, but you know you can’t.  Not until we understand more about the necklaces and the kind of mind control the Kraang have programmed into the device on the back of her neck.  Is something wrong; is there something in her note to upset you?  Something about the Kraang?”

            For an answer, Casey pulled the wrinkled envelope from his back pocket and handed it to Don.  “Go ahead and read it.  There’s nothing in there about the Kraang.”

            Don stared at Casey as he accepted the envelope, but the boy had gone back to examining his nails.  From the envelope Don extracted a single sheet of tri-folded paper and opened it, taking a second to adjust to Casey’s mom’s scrawled handwriting.

_“Looks like we’re passing each other again, son.  I keep forgetting you’re growing up and have as much going on as I do.  Seems like yesterday you were five and needed me a lot more.  Sounds crazy to say I miss those days considering how hectic everything was.  I guess I didn’t realize how fast you’d become a man or I would have found some way to spend more time with you.  Let’s make a pact to try and do that now, okay?  At least a couple times a week we should do something together.  Before you go off to college or to play hockey for some big league team and forget about your old mom.  Anyway, we’ll talk about that later.  Here’s some money for your lunches and bus fare.  Don’t let Mrs. Bradley borrow anymore sugar; she’s quit buying her own because she thinks she can keep mooching off the neighbors. Love you, Mom.”_

            “When I read stuff like that from my mom, I feel like a piece of me is dying,” Casey said, his voice low.  “I’m all she’s got and I can tell she’s trying to ready herself for the day I go off on my own.  I know she’s hoping I’ll have a better life than she did; maybe give her a couple of grandkids.”  Glancing up at Don, he added, “We both know that ain’t likely to happen, not with the way I’m feeling about ya’.”

            On its face the note seemed innocuous enough, but Don thought he understood why it was upsetting Casey so much.  It was clear that his mother saw this as a time when Casey’s life was in its ascendancy while hers was in a decline.  Rather than the limitless potential of youth spreading out before her, Casey’s mom had reached a point in her life where every minute was more precious than the last.  And now the Kraang was robbing them of some of the finite time they had together.

            Don felt a touch of sadness because this was a realization that he had to deal with as well.  Master Splinter wouldn’t be around forever; even the mutagen couldn’t do that for him.

            “I’m sorry,” Don said, his voice a near whisper.  He folded the note and placed it into the envelope before handing it back to Casey.  “I promise I’ll work on finding a solution even if I have to work night and day.”

            Casey slid the envelope into his pocket.  “Which solution, Don?  The Kraang necklace or the thing between us.”

            His expression was serious as he asked the question, no trace of the banter or the innuendos that Don had experienced from previous days.  It made Don wonder if Casey believed his relationship with Raph was open and that the red banded turtle wouldn’t mind sharing his lover.

            Maybe Raph was hiding the jealousy from Casey, but it was very clear to Don that sharing was the last thing on Raph’s mind.

            “Both I suppose,” Don said carefully.  “I have a couple of ideas for how to deal with the necklace.  As for the thing between us, that isn’t going to happen because you’re already committed to Raph.”

            Casey’s brow furrowed for a second and then suddenly cleared, his mouth dropping open in astonishment before he said, “Committed to . . . is that what ya’ meant by telling me not to hurt Raph?  Ya’ think Raph’s my boyfriend?”

            “Of course,” Don said, astonished at Casey’s reaction.  “Isn’t that what you were telling me when we were hiding together in the tunnels?”

            “No,” Casey said emphatically.  “Raph and I are not lovers, Donnie.  Never have been.  Fact is you’re the only one I’ve ever thought of in that way.”

            Now it was Don’s mouth that dropped open in surprise as his brain took a temporary leave of absence.


	44. 44. Two Roads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,132  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            “Don?  Donnie?”

            It took a moment for Casey’s voice to cut through the buzzing turmoil in Don’s head.  Looking up, Don saw that Casey had taken a step towards him and instinctively the turtle took one backwards.

            “You’re not . . . .”  Don stopped for a second to search for what he was trying to say.  “You’re not with Raph?”

            “No, not ever.  We’re friends and that’s all.  Pals.  We like the same things and our minds kinda work the same.”  With a laugh, Casey added, “We’re too much alike for me to think of him in that way.  Ya’ know what they say, opposites attract.”

            Don was still trying to process this new piece of information.  When he’d thought that Casey and Raph were together he realized he’d felt safe.  He would never do anything to hurt one of his brothers and when he’d started to understand Casey’s intentions, he knew that Raph was his buffer.  With Raph there, Don didn’t have to seriously consider or even deal with what Casey obviously wanted.

            “Then why has he been so angry with me?  I already told him I wasn’t trying to steal his friend,” Don said, almost as if he were asking the question of himself.

            “Maybe he’s mad over something that ain’t got anything to do with me at all,” Casey offered.

            “It’s about you and me, I know that,” Don said.  “He doesn’t care if you spend time with Ap . . . with anyone else.”

            “Talk to him about it,” Casey urged.  “Or do ya’ want me to do it?  I’ll be happy work something out with . . . .”

            “No,” Don said quickly, interrupting Casey’s offer.  “I can fight my own battles.  Promise me you won’t say anything to him Casey.  I know you are keeping something about him to yourself and all I’m asking is that you extend the same courtesy to me.”

            “I won’t talk out of turn and I won’t come between you and Raph,” Casey promised solemnly.  “All I want is a chance.”

            Don mulled that over for a minute and Casey patiently waited.  This wasn’t a situation that the turtle had ever envisioned happening to him; he’d never as much as thought about relationships before seeing April O’Neil for the first time.  Master Splinter had kept them very sheltered and isolated and the emotions that Don felt upon meeting April were overwhelming.

            His awareness of the fact that he was a mutated turtle didn’t dissuade Don from hoping that April could one day look at him romantically.  Now it seemed that Don was correct when he’d told his brothers that a human could like one of them that way, he’d just never thought it would be Casey helping to prove his point.

            Don had never contemplated that kind of interest directed toward him from another male.  His dream seemed to indicate that the idea wasn’t repugnant but Don wasn’t going to decide anything until he’d given it careful consideration.  Not to mention there was still the matter of his feelings for April which were as strong as they’d ever been.

            And Don still didn’t know what was going through Raph’s head.  Why did life have to be so complicated?

            Despite a feeling of acute embarrassment, Don decided to be as honest as he could be.  “I don’t know how I feel about any of this,” he finally said.  “Being only one of four mutant turtles in the entire world, I never gave my sexuality any thought.  But I . . . I care for someone else.”

            Casey nodded, as though he expected that answer.  His dark eyes were unfathomable as he said, “I think I can guess.  It’s April isn’t it?  Now that I’m looking for it I can see how ya’ treat her.  Ya’ think she feels the same way?”

            Feeling his neck redden, Don said, “I don’t know.  I haven’t exactly said anything.”

            Casey lightly snorted.  “But that ain’t because you’re shy, right Donnie?”

            “I’m not,” Don protested, abashed at having Casey turn his earlier assertions against him.  “I just . . . I don’t . . . .”

            Casey seemed to be enjoying his floundering and let Don’s objections trail off before telling him, “You’re afraid of what her answer might be.  If ya’ don’t say anything then she can’t tell ya’ no.  Ain’t that right?”

            Numbly Don nodded.  That was certainly a big part of why he’d never talked to April about his feelings.

            Leaning forward enough to be certain he had Don’s full attention, Casey said, “Ya’ gotta take chances, Donatello.  Sometimes ya’ win and sometimes ya’ don’t, but ya’ can’t just sit the game out.”

            “I’m not as sure of things as you are,” Don said.  “You grew up understanding this stuff; I didn’t.”

            “So you’ll learn,” Casey said matter-of-factly.  “Ya’ can learn anything, that’s one of the things that’s great about ya’.  I learned a while back that I like both guys and gals; maybe you do too.  Maybe if ya’ have some time to study on it you’ll figure that out and give me a real shot at ya’.  ‘Cause like I told ya’ before, I ain’t a quitter.”

            Don was starting to understand.  There were two roads in front of him; one was flat and continued along his current path of doing and saying nothing.  Casey seemed to be telling him that road led absolutely nowhere and Don thought the boy might be right.  The other road wound upwards, was steep and covered with hazards, but at the top of that path Don would eventually find happiness with someone.

            Drawing a deep breath, Don said, “Time sounds good.  Right now I have too much on my plate to even be considering any of that stuff.  The Kraang are making an aggressive move and if I don’t counter it soon, they’ll take over.”

            “If ‘we’ don’t counter it,” Casey corrected.  “Ya’ ain’t in this alone Donnie, the rest of us are right here to do whatever is needed in order to push back the Kraang invasion.  Ya’ need some Kraang bots bashed, just let me know.  I’ll do anything it takes to get my ma back.”

            “Does that include eating lunch?” Don asked with a grin.

            Casey laughed, looking more relaxed than when Don had started talking to him.  “Yeah.  If ya’ say I should eat then I’ll eat.  Ya’ gotta go with me though, ‘cause I don’t remember seeing ya’ eat any lunch either.”

            “I could eat something,” Don admitted.

            “Well come on then,” Casey said, tossing his towel aside.  “Let’s go raid the kitchen.”

            Neither of them noticed the shadowed figure atop the Shellraiser who watched their departure through a pair of bright blue eyes.


	45. 45. Illusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 730  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Donatello could hear Raph and Leo in the dojo as he and Casey passed it on the way to the kitchen.  There was still no sign of Mikey which Don found a little surprising considering his penchant for spying these days.

            Something clattered in the kitchen and Don expected that’s where Mikey would be found, but upon entering he saw that April was making the noise.

            Don really should have expected to find her there.  She’d been so sure that he could coax Casey into eating something that she’d probably gone straight to the kitchen after talking to Don about it.  He certainly hoped she hadn’t counted on getting to be alone with Casey.

            She looked up when they came in and smiled brightly at both of them, making Don mentally kick himself for doubting her motives.

            “Hey you two,” April said, placing a large bowl on the table.  “I was thinking you might come in looking for something to eat so I tossed together a salad.”

            Casey made a face and said, “I’m not a rabbit.  Ya’ got anything a man can eat?”

            “Real men eat salads, Casey Jones,” April told him sassily.

            “I think it looks great, April,” Don said, his eyes glued to April’s face.

            “Why thank you, Donnie,” April said, glancing at him before her eyes darted back over to Casey.  “There’s some of Mikey’s famous mushroom and jelly bean pizza left.  It requires a level of recklessness to eat that I’m sure you can manage.”

            “Great,” Casey said, spotting the box and heading towards it.  “I can scrape the mushrooms off.”

            Don wouldn’t have minded some of that pizza himself, but he didn’t want April to think he was reckless too.  Instead, he grabbed an empty bowl and filled it with salad.

            He took a big bite and chewed it while smiling so that April would see how much he liked it.  Truth be told, it was pretty bland, but he wasn’t going to say anything.

            Casey sat next to Don, placing the pizza box on the table, and then glanced into his bowl.  “How can you eat that without any dressing?  Come on Red, give the guy something to flavor those tree leaves and bark with.”

            “It’s okay like this,” Don protested.

            “Sure it is,” Casey said.  He took a slice of pizza from the box and set it on top of Don’s salad.

            Feeling awkward, Don glanced over at April who was quirking an eyebrow at Casey.  “There is salad dressing, Donnie.  Let me get you some.”

            “Ok . . . okay,” Don stammered as she moved over to the refrigerator.  He took a quick look at Casey and found that the boy was grinning complacently at him.

            April returned with two bottles of salad dressing, setting them in front of Don so he’d have a selection.  After she did so, April looked meaningfully at the slice of pizza.

            “Let him eat the pizza, Red,” Casey said as he chewed a bite from his slice.

            “I’m not stopping him from eating anything he wants to eat,” April retorted.  “If Don likes salad you should leave him be so he can eat salad.”

            “And if he likes pizza ya’ should stop force feeding him grass clippings,” Casey responded.

            “I’m not force feeding him,” April said.  “You’re the one who’s making a big deal out of a little thing like a salad.”

            Don wasn’t sure if Casey and April were really bickering or if their peeved expressions were an illusion, but he was getting more and more uncomfortable.  He quickly chose one of the bottles and opened it, lifting the pizza to pour some of the dressing on his salad.  When he was done, he dipped the tip of the pizza into the salad and scooped some greens onto the slice before transferring the entire concoction to his mouth.

            Casey chuckled as he enjoyed Don’s adroit handling of the situation.  “See that, April?  Don prefers to have the best of both worlds.  Don’t ya’ Donnie?”

            Don nearly choked on his food and April quickly brought him a glass of water.  She glanced at Casey, her expression growing puzzled as she observed the smug look that he’d turned in Don’s direction.

            Trying not to make eye contact, Don sipped the water and debated on kicking the chair out from under Casey.


	46. 46. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,186  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Although Don had resisted the urge to kick Casey’s chair after the boy’s comment, there had been a moment or two of awkward silence.  April kept glancing between them as they continued to eat their lunch, her expression thoughtful.

            Finally April began talking about school and Casey joined in readily enough.  After informing them that being at school wasn’t his favorite way to spend time, Casey said that it did have the benefits of a stellar hockey program.

            Don listened with fascination to what both of the humans probably considered mundane.  School wasn’t a place he’d ever be able to attend but he got a sort of vicarious thrill from hearing his friends talk about it.

            There were a lot of things the humans took for granted that Don’s family would never get to experience.  The conversation made him wistful and a little sad.  Casey might say that he had a romantic interest in Don, but other than a desire to defeat the Kraang, they had nothing in common.  Unfortunately the same was true of Don and April as well; he could love her with all his heart, but in reality what could Don offer her?

            Don’s thoughts grew more melancholy as he watched the pair laugh and talk about things he didn’t understand and people he didn’t know.  Perhaps this was what Raph had meant when he’d told Don that he had no chance with April.

            A thought occurred to Don and he took a minute to examine it.  There was a possibility that Raph’s anger stemmed from the same idea; that at a certain level the humans were not meant to be with them.  It wasn’t something Don liked to dwell on, but it had crossed his mind during his prior unsuccessful attempts to get April to see him as something other than a friend.  Maybe Don’s family was just too different to harbor hopes of enjoying a real romance.

            Casey had sworn that he and Raph weren’t together; that they were merely friends.  The human boy didn’t think of Raph as a potential love interest; he’d made that very clear.

            However, that didn’t mean that Raph wasn’t harboring those kinds of feelings for Casey.  Even though Casey seemed sure that he wasn’t what Raph needed, it didn’t mean he knew that for sure.  Raph had a blustery, rough exterior for a reason and that was because he used it to disguise his true feelings about things.

            Suppose he wanted Casey and was keeping it a secret?  It would certainly irk him to see the boy making eyes at Donatello.

            Don sighed as he realized how he felt whenever he saw April with Casey.  Raph might not be seriously worried about the two of them, but Don was.  Casey had himself said that he was interested in April and certainly didn’t seem to have any qualms about being with her even while pursuing Donatello.  In fact his ‘best of both worlds’ comment could be construed as enthusiastic approval of the concept.

            If Raph was stressing over the fear of Casey getting with Don then it was a wonder he hadn’t completely lost it.  Snapping at Don and being short with him was pretty mild considering what he could be doing.

            Maybe that’s what Mikey had meant when he’d said that Raph wasn’t jealous, just mad.  Although Don acknowledged that it was jealousy he felt when he thought of April being with Casey, his brother Raph didn’t react to things in the same way.  If he really thought that Don was standing in his way, then Raph would behave angrily.

            “Earth to Don,” Casey said, snapping the turtle out of his reverie.  “Ya’ still with us?”

            Don nodded, noticing that not only had he finished his meal, but so had Casey.  It seemed that none of them wanted to be the first to exit the kitchen.  He knew that if he walked away it would leave Casey alone with April and that was unacceptable.  More than likely Casey didn’t want to leave Don and April alone together for the same reason.  And though Don doubted that April really knew what was going on between him and Casey, she probably didn’t want to leave for fear she’d miss something.

            “School sounds . . . interesting,” Don said.  “I was thinking how much I would enjoy the experience.”

            Casey chuckled.  “With your brains you’d already be in college Donnie.  You’d probably be _teaching_ college.”

            “He helps me with my homework,” April said smugly.  “I think he knows everything.”

            Don felt his face heat up.  “No I don’t,” he protested.

            “I can tell ya’ one thing ya’ need help with,” Casey said.

            “What?” Don asked with growing concern as Casey leaned towards him.

            “Ya’ got a little food on your chin,” Casey told him, reaching over to blot at it with a napkin.

            Right at that moment the sounds of laughter preceded Leo and Raph’s entry into the kitchen.  Whatever had amused them seemed private considering how close together they were; Leo even had his arm draped across Raph’s shoulder.

            As soon as Raph spotted Casey touching Don’s face he stopped laughing.  Following the direction of Raph’s gaze, the sight had a different effect on Leo as his smile broadened.

            “It’s nice to see you three bonding,” Leo said as he released Raph and strolled over to the table.  “We were headed to Raph’s room so he could show me the latest addition to his comic collection; anybody else interested?”

            Raph’s scowl deepened but apparently no one noticed but Don.  “Count me out,” Don said hastily.  “I’ve already wasted enough time today; I really need to work on those Kraang necklaces.”

            “Talking about school reminded me that I have some work to do so I don’t fall behind,” April said.  “You should be doing the same thing Casey Jones.  Just because you have to stay down here doesn’t mean you can slack off.”

            “I thought I’d help Don with those Kraang gizmos,” Casey said.

            Raph broke into the discussion.  “I’m feeling cooped up in here.  Why don’t you let the genius play with his toys in peace, Casey?  We can go for a run through the tunnels; it’d do you good to stretch out that leg.”

            The smile that Leo had been wearing began to fade and Don took that as a warning sign.  Sliding out of his chair quickly, Don said, “I need to talk to Mr. O’Neil before I do anything else, I’ll see you guys later.”

            Don all but bolted out of the kitchen.  If he’d remained behind, Leo might have expected him to convince Casey to stay in the lair so that Raph wouldn’t take off.  If Don had done that, Casey might have seen it as a green light to continue pursuing Don.  Then Raph would be even more upset than he already was and it would be Don’s fault.

            The only safe move that Don had was to get away from all of them as fast as he could.  Too bad relocating to Canada wasn’t an option.


	47. 47. Creation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 901  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ I love the way Donnie and Kirby O'Neil interact!

            Since Don really did need to talk to April’s dad, he went in search of the man.  The first place he looked was in the area they’d turned into a couple of spare bedrooms for April and her father.  Don saw that the door was open and when he peeked inside he spotted Mr. O’Neil lying on his bed reading.

            Don knocked politely and Mr. O’Neil closed his book when he saw the turtle.  Sitting up, the man swung his feet onto the floor and said, “Come in, Donatello.”

            Stepping into the room, Don said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you, sir.”

            “It’s perfectly all right,” the man assured him.  “I was just doing a bit of pleasure reading; I don’t often get the chance.  What’s on your mind?”

            “I was wondering if I could talk to you about your experience with the Kraang mind control device,” Don said, hastily adding, “If that isn’t too unpleasant for you to remember.”

            Mr. O’Neil’s brow furrowed and he waved Don over to a chair.  “Sit down and I’ll try to answer your questions, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be.  Some of that experience is pretty foggy inside my head.”

            Don sat as directed and said, “That’s part of what I wanted to ask you about.  How much do you remember from when I came to help you escape from the Kraang detention center?”

            “Most of that is clear,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “There was a moment after you opened the door that’s a little vague; I remember standing and walking towards you, but I don’t remember leaving the cell itself.  That’s the only time while we were in that building that my memory isn’t complete.”

            “And how about when we got you back to the lair?” Don asked.  He wished that he’d been paying closer attention to Mr. O’Neil at that point but for one thing he hadn’t known that Mr. O’Neil was being controlled and for another he’d been too focused on April.

            Mr. O’Neil smiled.  “I remember seeing April and being overjoyed that she was safe.  A little while later when we were alone April told me it was good to have me back and I remember telling her I was glad to be back.”

            He paused, his expression thoughtful, and Don asked, “Something?”

            With a grimace, Mr. O’Neil said, “I can just recall starting to hug her but then things get fuzzy again.  It didn’t last long because I remember going to the kitchen with her to get something to eat right after that.”

            Don started to feel a little excited, the glimmer of an idea beginning to percolate.  “What about after we left for the TCRI building and you took April to Karai?”

            Mr. O’Neil looked down and shook his head, his manner crestfallen.  “That was the worst day of my life,” he said sorrowfully.  “I can’t believe I betrayed my own daughter.”

            “It wasn’t your fault Mr. O’Neil,” Don said quickly.  “You were being controlled by experts.  The Kraang are doing the same thing to a lot of people right now and with your help I might be able to figure out how to stop them.”

            Lifting his head, Mr. O’Neil said, “I remember seeing April standing there looking at the pinball machine.  She was alone and when I didn’t see any of you I asked where you all were.  April said you’d gone to the TCRI building and I remember suddenly feeling like something had jabbed me in the base of my skull.

            “After that everything is pretty jumbled up until the four of you got that thing off my neck.  At that point all I had in my head were vague images of what had happened, but I knew that Karai had kidnapped my April.”

            “So somehow their creation circumvented your neuro controls, possibly using the paleospinothalamic tract as a pathway into the VPI and VPL nucleus of the thalamus,” Don said.

            Leaning forward as his expression grew animated, Mr. O’Neil said, “Since the thalamus serves as a relay station that signals the primary cortex, by taking control of the pathway they can control the motor areas of the frontal lobe.”

            “The neuro pathways wind all through the brain so it would be possible for the Kraang to override your higher functions,” Don said.  “That’s probably why you have some residual memory during the times they were in control.  Whatever they are using to transmit orders to the mind control device doesn’t work in the same uniform way as our own brains do.”

            “It’s not a seamless process,” Mr. O’Neil concluded.  “Perhaps that’s why they added the necklaces; as a way to boost their signal.  Since they can’t actually see through our eyes or hear through our ears, the necklace piggybacks off the visual cortex and the auditory receiving center.”

            Don stood up and began pacing in the small room as Mr. O’Neil watched him.  “The Kraang took control of your mind during times when you were alone with someone.  They probably couldn’t handle the flood of information that would be flowing through the various neuro pathways if you were in a crowded room.  It would have been like sensory overload.”

            Snapping his fingers, Don spun on his heels to face Mr. O’Neil at the exact same moment that April’s dad leaped to his feet.

            “Overload!” they exclaimed simultaneously.


	48. 48. Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,094  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ Maybe Mr. O'Neil is actually Don's biggest fan!

            Mr. O’Neil walked back to Donatello’s lab with the turtle, both of them excitedly discussing their theory.  Once in the lab, Don pulled his chalkboard over near his worktable and with Mr. O’Neil’s help, began to diagram the brain’s neuro pathways.

            Visualizing an idea always helped Don to think more clearly and this was no exception.  As he worked Don wondered aloud how many humans the Kraang had kidnapped and examined in order to create such an effective mind control device.

            It was gratifying to have someone to talk to who understood what Don was saying.  There were times during his childhood when Don’s intellect had left him feeling isolated from his brothers.

            Then of course there had been the times when he wished they would leave him alone.  As much as he loved being able to help his family live a more comfortable life, being the brother who could build anything had a price.

            Master Splinter had seen early on that Don needed a space other than his bedroom that he could call his own.  The lab was his sanctuary, though often invaded by his family; it was still mostly off limits.

            Mostly because Mikey had an unfortunate penchant for touching things he knew nothing about.  That was probably part and parcel of the youngest turtle’s innate curiosity, the same kind of desire to know things that had turned him into such a little spy.

            While Mr. O’Neil made some refinements to the diagram, Don studied the inner workings of the mind control device he’d taken off of the man’s neck.

            “You know sir, this wasn’t embedded in your skin,” Don said.  “I checked carefully before I attempted to remove it.”

            Mr. O’Neil turned to look at him.  “Then how was it attached?”

            “Suction,” Don said.  “After I made sure it wasn’t sticking into your skin, I gently tugged on it but it wouldn’t come loose.  I had to lift one side and slide a wooden ruler under it to break its grip.  It left a red circle on your neck for about an hour.”

            “So it’s possible that if we could find a way to interrupt the signal to the device it could simply drop off of people’s necks,” Mr. O’Neil mused.

            “Well . . . yeah,” Don said.  “It’s conceivable that the signal not only relays commands but provides the power to hold the devices in place.”

            “If you can overload the signals for even a few seconds, the devices would drop off of their hosts and it won’t matter if the Kraang figure out how to get their control back on line,” Mr. O’Neil said.

            Don scratched the back of his neck, his face scrunched in concentration.  “The only problem with that is now those Kraang necklaces are attached to the mind control devices.  Even if the device detaches from a person’s skin, the entire thing will still be hanging around their neck.

            “I don’t know much about jewelry, but wouldn’t a person normally adjust their necklace so it was hanging properly if it slipped out of place?  All the Kraang would have to do is reacquire the signal and they’d be back in business.  I really have to find a way to overload them to the point where they burn out completely.”

            “Without actually harming the wearer,” Mr. O’Neil pointed out.

            “It’s a challenge all right.”  Don looked down at the device.  “I wish I had one of these with the necklace attached to it,” he said musingly.

            “You certainly don’t need to be going topside to get one.  The Kraang would love that kind of opportunity,” Mr. O’Neil reminded him, looking as stern as Donnie’s own father did.

            “Yes, sir,” Don replied meekly, wondering how much trouble he’d be in with April’s dad if Mr. O’Neil found out he’d made that type of excursion just the night before.

            Before Mr. O’Neil could pursue the subject, April walked in.

            “Hey dad,” she said in greeting.

            “Hello April,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “Weren’t you supposed to be training?”

            April smiled indulgently.  “I’m already done.  The two of you must have been working hard if you didn’t notice the last few hours slip by.  It’s nearly dinner time.”

            “Ah, I suppose we have been busy,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “You know April, Donatello here is quite brilliant.  He may have figured out how the mind control devices work and how to destroy them.”

            “I’m sure if anyone could do that, it’s Donnie,” April acknowledge, turning her smile in Don’s direction.

            The moment that April’s radiant smile hit him, Don felt as though every brain cell in his head drained down to his toes.  As much as he, as a turtle, loved the sunshine, April’s bright smile warmed him more than a pair of suns could have done.

            “Th . . . thanks, April,” Don managed to squeak out.

            April turned back to her father, giving Don a moment to collect himself.  He really needed to learn how to be more suave around April, maybe if he didn’t come off as such a geek she might take his interest in her more seriously.

            “Speaking of dinner, you should go wash up dad,” April told her father.  “It would probably also be a good idea if you gave Aunt Aggie a call and let her know we’re both still okay before she sends some detectives to look for us.”

            Mr. O’Neil glanced at his watch.  “Oh dear, you’re right.  Agatha is probably pacing the floor right now.”

            April and Don watched Mr. O’Neil speed out of the lab, though April made no move to follow.  Don could feel a grin blooming on his face; delighted as always whenever April was alone with him.

            When she spun around to face him though, her expression had changed from lighthearted to worried, and Don’s smile faded.  She’d obviously come in with a reason other than to remind them of dinner; that was merely an excuse to get her father out of the lab.

            “April, what’s wrong?” Don asked, immediately concerned.

            “It’s Casey,” April said.  “He’s in Raph’s room insisting that he’s going home tonight to do something about his mother.  Raph can’t talk any sense into him and I’m not sure he’s trying very hard; I think he wants to go with Casey.  Please, you’ve got to come help me convince him not to do this.  He needs to hear it from someone who’s rational.”

            She didn’t give Donatello time to argue.  Grabbing his forearm, April practically dragged him out of the lab.


	49. 49. Stripes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,499  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ Don can have a very sharp tongue when he's agitated.

            As he glanced through Raph’s doorway, the first thing Don saw was Casey pacing and the second was Raph leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

            “I told you to get Leo,” Raph snapped at April when she and Don entered the room.

            April started to say something but Don jumped in.  “She found me first.  Now you can apologize for being rude to her,” Don said, glaring at his brother.

            Raph’s eyes narrowed but it was obvious he knew Don would go to war over the show of disrespect because it involved April.

            “Sorry April,” Raph said grudgingly.

            April glanced at Don before telling Raph, “I’ll get Leo now.”

            She quickly left the room and Don stepped into Casey’s path, forcing the boy to either stop or walk over the tall turtle.

            “What exactly is it that you want to do?” Don asked once he had Casey’s attention.

            “I want to go home and yank that necklace off of my Ma,” Casey said stubbornly.

            “I told you I’d figure out a way to neutralize its control without any of us placing ourselves in danger by going topside,” Don said.  “You need to be patient.”

            “She ain’t your Ma,” Casey said.  “It’s easy to say be patient when you don’t have a stake in the game.”

            “I see his point,” Raph said a little too smugly for Don’s liking.

            “Look at how long it took ya’ to cure April’s dad,” Casey said.  “I can’t leave my Ma alone for weeks on end.”

            Don felt stung by Casey’s harsh words and then suddenly understood why Casey was doing this now.  He’d helped the boy calm down that morning, convincing Casey that the best thing he could do for his mother was to stay away from her.  But that was before Casey had spent some time with his hot headed best friend.

            When Don looked over at Raph he saw that his brother had a self-satisfied expression on his face that perfectly mirrored his smug tone of voice.

            “What happens to your mother if you manage to get caught?” Don asked, facing Casey once more.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Leo enter the room with April just behind him.

            Perhaps it was the hurt Don was still feeling from Casey’s words or the realization that he would have to say something drastic to get Casey’s mind off of his notion, but Don couldn’t help the slight brutality of his words as he continued, “If they have you then your mother becomes excess baggage.  Do you think they’ll send her on home with a pat on the head?  They still need humans to study and why catch new ones when they already have some whose other usefulness has run its course?”

            April’s gasp told Don how severe he’d sounded.  Casey went absolutely still and Raph pushed away from the wall with a low growl.

            Leo swiftly stepped between Don and Raph.  “No one is going topside,” he said firmly.  “The Kraang have too many spies and until Don figures out how to defeat those mind control devices we can’t chance being followed back to our home.”

            “So your solution is to hide down here with our heads in our shells?” Raph asked contentiously.  “Maybe you don’t mind going back to eating worms and algae but the rest of us do.  We’ve got to buy food and we’ve got to know what’s going on up there.”

            “We’ve got enough supplies to hold on for a few days,” Leo said.  “Let’s give Don time to find out exactly what we are dealing with.”

            “You know what, Leo?  The sun doesn’t hang off of Don’s shell.  Sometimes you gotta go out and take an active hand in dealing with problems,” Raph said, his tone belligerent.

            “Couldn’t my dad go up when its daylight and buy food?” April offered, walking up to stand next to Don.  “He could wear a hat and long coat as a disguise.”

            “Let’s save that as a last resort,” Leo said.  “We don’t know how many humans are under Kraang control at this point.”

            “We aren’t going to find out either as long as we sit down here,” Raph said, stubbornly hanging on to his idea.

            “What you said about my Ma,” Casey said, his eyes focused on Don as though no one else was in the room.  “That could happen to her if they figure out I ain’t going near her while she’s wearing their necklace.  Maybe they’ll make her disappear just to teach me a lesson.”

            “This is bogus!” Raph exclaimed angrily.  “When the Kraang grabbed April and tried to take over the world we moved our butts and did something about it.  This is no different.”

            “There is a difference and you’d see it if you opened your eyes,” Leo told him.  “April was in imminent danger; Casey’s mom is safe for the time being.  They aren’t going to make an example of her unless they know someone will get the message.”

            Don saw the obstinate set of Raph’s jaw and knew Leo wasn’t getting through to him.  Asking Raph to choose caution over a fight was like asking a tiger to change its stripes.

            “I have to say that I think we should do something too,” April said in a small voice.  “I know what it was like to spend every waking moment worried about my dad.  I’d rather not have anyone place themselves in danger, but there has to be some kind of compromise that will work.”

            “Why don’t you guys kidnap her?” Mikey said, walking into the room.  It was obvious from his expression that he knew exactly what was going on.

            “What are you talking about?” Raph snarled, turning on his younger brother.

            Unfazed, Mikey simply smiled at him.  “You know, like they do in the movies when somebody has been brainwashed.  They kidnap them and try to figure out how to snap them out of it.”

            “You know, Mikey might be on to something,” Don said thoughtfully.  “I told Mr. O’Neil earlier that I wished I had a mind control device with a necklace attached to it so I could see if a theory we’ve been working on has any merit.  Having someone who is being controlled by the device would be even better.”

            “So now it’s okay to go after my Ma as long as you can use her as a guinea pig?” Casey asked, his voice low.

            Startled by Casey’s sullen tone, Don stared at him.  Casey met his eyes unflinchingly; his expression more disapproving than Don had ever seen it.

            “Don, how do we keep her from giving away our location if we do this?” Leo asked.

            Forcing his gaze away from Casey’s, Don said, “A hood over her upper torso would keep her and the necklace from seeing anything.  Our signal jammers should keep the necklace from transmitting its coordinates.”

            “What’s your mother’s schedule like for tonight?” Leo asked Casey.

            “She’ll be home by ten,” Casey said.  “She usually watches some television before going to bed.  Sometimes she falls asleep in the easy chair in front of the TV.”

            “We need to be careful sneaking in because they have humans watching the apartment,” Don said.

            “There is no ‘we’ to this, Donatello,” Leo said adamantly.  “Raph and I will do this by ourselves.  Having you along doubles the danger and there is a necessity for stealth that the two of us are better at accomplishing.”

            “That leaves you out, Mikey,” Raph said with a grin.

            “Hey,” Mikey protested half-heartedly.

            “She’s my mom,” Casey pointed out.  “I should come with you.”

            “No,” Leo told him.  “Raph and I can get in and out a lot faster if it’s just the two of us.”

            April laid her hand on Casey’s forearm.  “It might be upsetting to you to watch them kidnap your mom, Casey.  You should help us set up a place for her stay that will make her feel comfortable when they bring her back.”

            “Like a cage,” Casey said with distaste.

            “No, like a hospital room,” April said.

            “Come on, Leo,” Raph said, looking much happier than he had when Don stepped into the room.  “It’s dark outside; let’s go reconnoiter the neighborhood while we wait for Mrs. Jones to get home.”

            Leo nodded his acquiescence and the two brothers quickly left.  April started for the door, telling Casey, “Let’s find my dad and tell him what we’re doing.  He can help us get a room ready for your mom.”

            Before Casey could leave the room, Don caught his arm.  “I’m sorry, Casey.  I wasn’t trying to be cruel.”

            Casey yanked his arm free from Don’s grip and said, “Yeah, whatever.”

            Stunned, Don watched him walk away.  After a moment he felt eyes on him and turned his head to see Mikey.  His younger brother’s expression appeared very sympathetic, causing Donatello to wonder just how badly he’d screwed up.


	50. 50. Breaking the Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,206  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ Halfway there!

            There were definitely times when Donatello felt as though the only thing he truly understood was his technology.  Science was all theory until it was proven and then it was fact.  Machines either worked or they didn’t.  Mathematics involved quantifiable calculations.  All of those things were easy for Don to grasp.

            Because he had been raised with them, Don thought he also understood his brothers.  Up to a point, he did.  But as they got older, subtle changes had begun to take place and there were times when Don didn’t understand them at all.

            Raph for instance was turning into something of an enigma.  Don had no idea what was going on inside the hot head’s skull.  Besides all of his jealous posturing whenever Don was around, now Raph had tried to goad Casey into doing something completely foolhardy.

            It wasn’t as though breaking the rules was new to Raph; shell, he had turned that into a fine art.  This was something more.  Usually his rash outbursts and impatient actions were spur of the moment responses to a particular stimulus, like when a group of Kraang stood in his path.

            The episode in Raph’s room with Casey required some thought.  Never in his wildest imagination would Don have believed that Raph would urge Casey into an action that could easily get them either captured or worse yet, killed.

            On his way to the small room they had chosen to be Mrs. Jones’ living quarters for the duration of her stay, Don suddenly stopped as an idea began to form.

            Raph had asked April to get Leo.  Why would Raph have asked for Leo if he wanted to go topside with Casey to rescue the boy’s mom?  That made no sense.  Raph knew perfectly well that Leo wouldn’t have allowed it.  If Raph didn’t want Casey to run off he wouldn’t have been encouraging him to do just that and if he still couldn’t convince Casey not to do something crazy, Raph would have asked April to fetch Master Splinter.

            The going topside ban had been extended to include Casey and Leo most certainly did not share Raph’s penchant for breaking the rules.  That had to mean that Raph had asked for Leo because he’d guessed correctly that Leo would put his foot down about Casey going after his mother.  With Casey being as worked up as Raph had gotten him, the only real way to resolve the problem was for Leo to offer to rescue the woman himself.

            And that was it, the answer to the strange interplay in Raph’s room.  Raphael wanted to go topside, but he wanted to go with Leonardo, not Casey.

            Don started walking again, his mind trying to decode Raph’s mysterious behavior.  It was true that Raph and Leo had always been close; their supposed rivalry simply a big game of one-upmanship that frequently became a little too serious.

            The murmur of voices coming from the spare room caught Don’s attention and dragged his mind back to the present.  He could easily tell that the only two inside were April and Casey, and Don unconsciously slowed down.

            This wasn’t an area of the lair they used much and therefore the hall leading to the spare room was dark.  Don knew he’d have to do something about that, as well as providing Casey’s mom with heat and a few other comforts.

            Before he reached the open doorway, Don stopped and pressed himself against the wall.  He wasn’t exactly sure why he did it; he was certainly not prone to eavesdropping the way Mikey appeared to be.  It was mostly a sense of embarrassment at realizing how coming up on the two of them might become awkward.

            Don was attempting to decide whether to leave or go in when he heard April say, “Casey, you know that Don wasn’t trying to upset you, don’t you?  He was only telling you the truth.”

            “I ain’t got a problem with the truth, Red.  I got a problem with how it got delivered,” Casey told her.

            “That was your own fault because you wouldn’t listen to reason,” April said in a mildly scolding tone.  “Sometimes you and Raph get together and common sense goes out the window.”

            “Good thing there ain’t any windows down here,” Casey said.  Don could almost see the smirk on his face.

            “Very funny,” April responded.  “When I walked into the lab Don was working on one of those necklaces you guys found at the warehouse.  He and my dad had a diagram of the human brain drawn on the chalkboard and they were obviously working on a way to defeat the Kraang.  I had to pull him away from that to come talk you out of running off and getting turned into a Kraang spy.”

            “Aw Red, I didn’t know ya’ cared,” Casey said in a teasing tone.

            Don’s hands curled into fists as he felt the blood rushing into his head.  It took all of his willpower not to dart into the room and jump between the two humans.

            “Well I don’t,” April snapped quickly.  “My concern has to do with Donnie, not you.”

            “So . . . .” Casey said, dragging out the word, “do ya’ like him?”

            “Of course,” April answered.  “He’s one of my best friends.”

            “That’s not what I meant,” Casey said.  “Do ya’ _like_ him?”

            There was a pause in the conversation.  Don’s nails dug into the palms of his hands; his heart beating so hard inside his chest it threatened to burst through his plastron.

            Finally April replied in a voice so soft that Don almost didn’t hear her.  “Yes.”

            The sudden rush of adrenalin that raced through Don’s veins made him dizzy and if it weren’t for the wall right behind him he would have fallen over.  He felt like the sun had taken up residence inside his stomach and was putting on a show that warmed his entire body with a sensation of indescribable joy.

            At the last second Don remembered that he was eavesdropping and that shouting his elation probably wasn’t a good idea.

            He barely caught Casey’s next words, but when he did, Don sobered swiftly.

            “Do ya’ like me that way?” Casey asked.

            “Wow Jones, way to be blunt,” April said, sounding self-conscious.

            “I don’t often get to hear the truth,” Casey said.

            “Then why don’t you go first this time,” April suggested, sounding a little more confident.

            “Okay,” Casey acknowledged.  “I like ya’, Red.  Liked ya’ the minute we met.  Ya’ ain’t like other girls; ya’ got spirit.  Your turn.”

            “I . . . .” April began.

            “Get out here!” Raph shouted suddenly, his strident call jarring Don to action.

            Racing out of his hiding spot, Don’s long legs carried him far from the spare room before Casey or April could see he’d been anywhere near them.  Don immediately spotted both Raph and Leo standing in the center of the lair.

            Both of their masks were tied around Leo’s bicep, which was red with dried blood.  If that wasn’t evidence enough that they’d run into trouble, the unconscious woman in Raph’s arms certainly was.

            “Mom!” Casey yelled, leaping towards his mother.


	51. 51. Sport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 980  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ Mikey knows all.

            “What happened?” Don demanded, reaching Raph and Leo just as Casey did.

            Casey groped at the hood that covered his mother’s head and upper torso.  “Get this . . . get this off of her!”

            Don reached out quickly and caught his hand before Casey could take the hood off.  “Wait, don’t remove it out here.  I need to put the large jamming device I built in your mom’s room first.”

            April stepped forward as Casey pulled out of Don’s grip and she set a comforting hand on his shoulder.  Looking at Raph, she said, “Bring her back here; we set up a cot for her.”

            Raph cast a swift glance at Leo who nodded.  As Raph followed April, Casey walked alongside him, holding his mother’s hand as they took her into the spare room.

            Don stepped in front of Leo before he could follow them.  “What happened?” Don repeated.

            Leo looked past him in the direction Raph had gone before turning his eyes back to Don.  “We made it to Casey’s apartment without running into anyone; Kraang or human.  His mother wasn’t there yet, so we took the precaution of loosening the light bulbs so that when she did get there she couldn’t turn the lights on.

            “We’d just finished doing that when she came in.  Before she could get suspicious about the lights, Raph slung the hood over her and tightened the draw string so she couldn’t flail around.  Except that she didn’t, as soon as the hood was down she just passed out.

            “I checked that she was still breathing and we figured she’d just fainted, so Raph and I took her out of the apartment.  That’s when things started to go wrong.  We’d made it halfway to the sewer entrance when the streets suddenly filled with people, all pointing and screeching at us.

            “There was absolutely no one around, so I don’t know how they knew we were there.  We had to shove some of them out of our way because they started grabbing at us, trying to slow us down.  By the time I got the manhole cover off, the Kraang had showed up.”

            “Is that how you got hurt?” Don asked.

            Leo nodded.  “I made Raph take Mrs. Jones down into the tunnels and told him to head for the lair.  While he did that, I held the Kraang off so they couldn’t go down after him.”

            Don realized that Leo wasn’t going to embellish on that part of the story, knowing that he had once more made a decision to sacrifice himself so that Raph could escape with Casey’s mom.  He did want to know about Leo’s wound.  “Your arm?”

            “Kraang laser,” Leo said.  “It sliced the skin but I’m pretty sure I’ll live.”

            There was a hint of unassuming humor in his voice and Don knew his brother wanted to drop the subject.  “I’ll need to tend to that,” Don said.

            “Of course,” Leo responded gratefully.  “Let’s check in with the others first.”

            They spotted Mikey standing in the doorway when they reached the spare room.  Inside, Raph stood against the wall watching Casey and April, who were kneeling next to Mrs. Jones’ prone form.

            “Can we take the hood off?” April asked, looking up when she saw Don.

            “One minute; let me get the jammer from my lab,” Don said as he turned and left the room.

            Running to his lab, Don snatched the jamming device off of his work table and switched it on.  It was no larger than a small alarm clock; in fact, that was what he had gutted in order to create the device.

            When he reached the spare room, Don slid the device under the bed and then carefully loosened the draw string on Mrs. Jones’ hood.  From the corner of his eye, Don noticed Raph leave and barely registered that Leo was no longer in the doorway.

            While Casey lifted his mother’s upper body off the cot, Don and April slipped the hood off of her.  Casey gently laid her back down, smoothing her dark hair as he did so.  The gesture was a loving one and Don smiled, feeling the soft pattering of his heart as he watched Casey lean down and place a kiss on his mother’s forehead.

            Noticing the tender look on April’s face as she too stared at Casey, Don snapped out of it.  With great care he pulled back Mrs. Jones’ eyelids and checked her pupils.  Finding that they were dilated, he tested their response to light by covering her eye with his hand and then quickly pulling it back.

            When her pupil remained dilated, Don made a noise in his throat and checked her pulse.  It was within normal range for a human and her skin, other than being slightly flushed, was warm and dry.

            “Is she okay?” Casey asked worriedly.

            “She seems fine,” Don said.  “She fainted when Raph and Leo grabbed her, so I think she’s just had a fright.  Keep her covered and stay with her; I need to check Leo’s injury.”

            Mikey was standing in the hall when Don came out, but Raph and Leo were nowhere in sight.

            “Do me a favor and keep an eye on them, would you?” Don asked.

            “Don’t want them to be alone again, Donnie?” Mikey countered, his grin impish.  Then it faded as he asked, “Where are you going?”

            “To see how bad Leo’s wound really is,” Don told him, starting for his lab.

            Mikey spun around to stare at him.  “Take my advice and leave them be,” Mikey said earnestly.  “For your own good,” he added.

            Beginning to feel cranky, Don snapped at him, “I’m sure this situation is great sport for you, but I don’t have time for games right now.”

            As he strode off, Mikey called after him, “Your funeral.”


	52. 52. Deep in Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,244  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~ Warning: Contents could possibly be construed as TCest

            Deep in thought, Don approached his lab, his mind a whirlwind of confusion over Mikey’s odd warning.  His older brothers hadn’t been fighting as far as he could tell, so Mikey telling him to leave them alone made absolutely no sense.  As the family’s designated physician, Don had a duty to care for Leo’s injury, no matter what other things might be going on.

            He was so pre-occupied that when he stepped into the lab it took him a minute to notice that Leo was seated on a table with Raph standing between his legs.  A box containing medical supplies was open on the table next to Leo, and their bloodied masks lay on the floor by Raph’s feet.

            When he neared his brothers, Raph’s arm shot straight out at him, palm showing.  His eyes however remained glued on Leo.

            “Back off egghead, I got this,” Raph growled.

            “I should look at it,” Don protested.

            “It’s being taken care of, Donnie,” Leo said in a quiet tone of voice, not looking away from Raph.

            Don didn’t move and Raph lowered his arm, returning to the job of patching up Leo’s wound.  After watching them for a couple of minutes, Don turned and walked over to his work bench.  He had some things he needed to research, so he ignored his brothers and flipped his homemade laptop open.

            He hadn’t actually been telling Casey the entire truth about his mother.  Don’s prior experience with Mrs. Jones while he was in Casey’s apartment had convinced him that she wasn’t the fainting type.  That combined with her dilated pupils made Don believe that something other than simply passing out was involved in Mrs. Jones’ unconscious state.

            For a while there was silence from the other side of the room and Don periodically cast surreptitious glances in his brother’s direction.  Raph continued to tend to Leo’s injury and Leo continued to stare at the hot head as though trying to memorize his entire face.

            “If they handed out awards for crazy stunts you’d get one,” Raph finally said without rancor, his voice more gentle than Don had ever heard it.

            “I’m fine, Raph,” Leo assured him, stressing his words.

            “This time,” Raph responded.  “How many chances are you going to take before your luck runs out?”

            “I suppose we could hide down here in the sewers forever,” Leo said, sounding both slightly amused and mildly sarcastic at the same time.

            Raph’s tone didn’t mimic his brother’s.  “Yeah, maybe we should.  That worked for us just fine all of those years before this.”

            Don looked over, surprised at how serious Raph had sounded, and saw the astonished expression on Leo’s face.

            “You’d hate it,” Leo said.  “Isn’t that why you spend so much time topside with Casey?  What makes you think you could stay down here for very long?”

            “I guess it’d depend on whether I had the right kind of incentive,”  Raph said.  He set his hand on Leo’s thigh and asked, “Can you think of something that might motivate me?”

            Don nearly choked on his own spit, struggling to remain silent and unnoticed.  It almost sounded like Raph was coming on to Leo but that couldn’t be possible.  They were brothers.  Raph had to be mocking Leo for some reason.

            “It’d be easier if I didn’t have to guess,” Leo said in an almost hushed tone.

            “You already have though, haven’t you?” Raph asked.  “Isn’t that what bothers you about the time I spend with Casey?  That’s how you put it; you think I’m trying to break away from you.”

            “I’m not like Casey,” Leo said.  “I’m not going to change who I am.”

            “Never asked you to,” Raph told him.  “Casey’s my good friend, but he ain’t in here.” Raph thumped his chest, his eyes still fixed on Leo as he added, “Not the way you are.”

            “Because I’m your brother,” Leo said, though it sounded almost like a question.

            Don hadn’t meant to stare but he couldn’t look away.  It was like watching a cobra dance, you never knew if it would move away or strike.

            Raph snorted.  “Come on, Leo.  You’re smarter than that.  You tried to get yourself killed tonight to save me.  The least you can do is to tell me the truth.”

            “I know that we’ve always been close,” Leo said carefully.  “We always try to outdo each other but we always work best together.”

            “Yeah, we work best when we’re _together_ ,” Raph stressed.  “Sometimes that’s all I can think about; us together.”

            “Do you mean that in the way that I think you do?” Leo asked, searching Raph’s eyes.

            Don realized that they’d completely forgotten about him and he wasn’t going to do anything to call attention to himself.  There was clearly more going on between these two than could be explained away by sibling rivalry.  Mikey knew, Don thought bitterly, he’d apparently known for a long time.  That’s why he’d tried to warn Don away from the lab.  Don mentally kicked himself for not listening.

            Raph’s hand began to slide along Leo’s thigh, moving down towards his knee and then back up again.  Don could hear the hitch in Leo’s voice denoting a quick intake of air.  Very slowly, Leo lifted his hand to Raph’s face, pressing his palm against an emerald green cheek.

            “You got any idea how I felt when I thought you’d died in that Kraang ship?” Raph asked, his voice low and husky.  “Jumping out of buildings, throwing yourself in front of Kraang lasers; you have to stop trying to be a hero.”

            “I’m not,” Leo insisted.  “I’m doing what Master Splinter says I must.  Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”

            “Why does it have to be your sacrifices?” Raph asked gruffly.  “Are we gonna go to the next level with this thing between us and then I suddenly find myself alone?”

            “You take just as many chances,” Leo said.

            Raph leaned forward, reaching out to grip the back of Leo’s neck.  “I follow my instincts in a fight, that ain’t the same as purposely accepting death.”

            “I told you I’m not going to change,” Leo said stubbornly.  “While I’m leading this team I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep it and the world safe.  You’ll have to accept that.”

            Don wasn’t even breathing at this point.  He’d never heard those two have such a deeply personal discussion and it was both mesmerizing and frightening at the same time.

            Raph let go of Leo and stepped back, his mouth set in a grim line.  “What if I can’t?  What if I’d rather be with someone who has sense enough to duck when they’re getting shot at?”

            “Someone like Casey Jones?” Leo asked, a touch of bitterness in his tone.

            “Is that what you want, Leo?  You want me to just stay with Casey?” Raph challenged.

            Leo leaped down from the table and stepped towards Raph until their plastrons were nearly touching.  “You aren’t ‘with’ Casey, isn’t that what you just told me?”

            “I told you a lot of things, but you haven’t heard any of them, have you?” Raph snarled in frustration.

            Whatever would have happened next was interrupted by the subject of their conversation rushing into the lab.  Casey came in breathlessly, his eyes finding Donatello and ignoring the other two turtles.

            “My mom ain’t waking up, Donnie,” Casey said.  “Something ain’t right.”


	53. 53. Keeping a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,342  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            “Donatello!” Master Splinter called sternly, coming into the lab behind a frantic Casey.  “Please tell me what has happened.”

            Leo and Raph separated quickly upon hearing their father’s voice, both shooting hard glances in Don’s direction.  Don avoided meeting their eyes, maintaining a neutral expression in the hopes that they would think he’d been too preoccupied to have heard their conversation.

            “They rescued my mom for me,” Casey answered before Don had the chance, “but something’s wrong with her.”

            “Casey wanted to leave to check on his mother,” Leo said, stepping up to offer further explanation.  “Since that wasn’t a good idea, I decided that Raph and I would bring her here.  We were careful to follow all of Don’s safety protocols.”

            “Mr. O’Neil and I think we’ve discovered how the mind control devices work,” Don added.  “Leo’s plan sounded like our best option because I also needed to observe a functioning device with an intact necklace attachment.”

            “You were seen?” Master Splinter asked, glancing at Leo’s bandaged arm.

            “The Kraang showed up after we grabbed Mrs. Jones,” Raph said.  “It’s almost like they got some kind of signal even though we used Don’s signal jammer.”

            “It wasn’t that they got a signal,” Don interposed, causing the others to look at him.  “It’s more like they _weren’t_ getting one; not even something registering as their signal being jammed.  When the image went out on the necklace because of the hood, the programming in the mind control unit must have issued a system shut down.  Doing that effectively shut down Mrs. Jones as well.”

            “What are you talking about?” Casey demanded.  “What did they do to my mom?”

            “It’s the way the mind control device takes control of humans,” Mr. O’Neil said as he entered the lab with Mikey.  “Donatello figured it out.”

            The man looked expectantly at Donatello and the young turtle took up the explanation.  “The device is attached to the back of the neck because that gives the electronics inside of it access to the brain’s neuro pathways.  Once it has control of those, it can tell the body how to act and react to outside stimuli, like for instance when the Kraang had Mr. O’Neil deliver April to Karai.

            “The necklace attachment augments the primary device by providing the Kraang with additional information, so now they can have more real time control as opposed to programmed responses.  I think what they’ve also done with them is to build in a feature that overrides signals to the brain when the images from the necklace go black.  When I say they’ve shut down Mrs. Jones I’m not referring to something you’d do to a robot, I’m talking about overwhelming her higher functions by way of the pleasure center in the brain.

            “When I noticed that her pupils were dilated I realized there were a number of explanations to account for it.  From what Raph and Leo said, she didn’t suffer any type of head trauma nor do I see any signs of drug use.  The mind control device I dismantled does not inject chemicals of any kind into the skin.  I was on my laptop checking on the most feasible explanation when you all came in.  That’s when I read that excitement or arousal can cause the eyes to dilate.”

            Don stopped talking, feeling highly embarrassed and unsure as to whether his listeners truly understood what he was saying.  He glanced at Mr. O’Neil who gave him a reassuring look.

            “April is staying with Mrs. Jones right now because she may at some point exhibit,” Mr. O’Neil paused to clear his throat, “outward signs of what she’s experiencing.  She may even begin to verbalize those feelings.”

            There was an awkward silence following his remarks as everyone absorbed what had been said.  Even Mikey seemed to understand, but then Don was starting to wonder how much of Mikey’s naïve behavior was all an act.  Don was certainly amazed to learn that his youngest brother had no problem keeping a secret.

            “Hey Raph, what’s the name of that building where the Kraang hang out?” Casey asked, breaking the silence.

            Relieved to change the topic, Raph answered, “TCRI.”  Then it dawned on him that it might not have been a good idea to give Casey that information.  “Don’t even think about going there.  It took all of us to get inside before and we nearly got killed getting back out.”

            “Yeah?  Then maybe it’s time to quit using stealth and just start blowing things up,” Casey said grimly.

            “It isn’t as simple as that,” Leo told him.  “The entrance is fortified and guarded by dozens of Kraang bots.  Even if you had a rocket launcher you wouldn’t get past the first floor.”

            “Then what am I supposed to do, sit around here and do nothing while the Kraang sex up my mom?” Casey asked, his anger palpable.

            “Mr. O’Neil, how long can Mrs. Jones survive without sustenance?” Master Splinter asked.

            “Without food, anywhere from four to six weeks, without water anywhere from seven to ten days,” Mr. O’Neil answered.  “She’ll survive indefinitely if we hook her up to an intravenous line.”

            “I don’t have that kind of equipment,” Don said.  From the corner of his eye he could see that Casey’s hands were curled into tight fists.

            “I can get what we need from a medical supply warehouse,” Mr. O’Neil offered.

            “It probably isn’t safe for you to go out shopping,” Leo reminded him.  “You already took a chance when you went up to get the medicine for Casey.”

            “Sometimes you don’t have the option of playing it safe,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “I’ll be extra cautious.”

            “How about me and Casey give him an escort?” Raph asked, moving away from Leo to stand next to his friend.  “We can watch his back and help carry stuff once he’s done shopping.”

            Don saw a flash of something – pain, annoyance, jealousy? – cross Leo’s face.  Then Don noticed that Mikey was staring at him.  As soon as Don caught Mikey’s eye, the youngest turtle winked.

            “I’ll grab a few more items then so we can begin to set up a proper sick bay.  It’s something Don and I had talked about doing,” Mr. O’Neil said.

            “That is an addition our home seems to have more of a need for as of late,” Master Splinter said dryly, glancing at Leo’s arm again.  “Raphael, you and Mr. Jones may accompany Mr. O’Neil on his supply run.  I urge you to take great care to avoid the Kraang should you encounter them; this is not an opportunity to seek out a fight, it is merely a protection detail.”

            “Yes Master Splinter,” Raph said meekly.

            “One more thing,” Don said.  “The Kraang seem to have adjusted their response to my signal jammer.  From what happened to Raph and Leo, I’d guess they are going to start investigating any jammed signals by going to the last known location of the jammed device.  Since the jammer has an effective radius of half a mile you’ll probably have a few minutes before they pinpoint where you are.  If you see someone wearing a Kraang necklace, assume that the Kraang are on their way and start moving.”

            “I’ll start moving all right,” Casey said from between gnashed teeth.

            “Maybe I should go with them,” Leo suggested, looking hopefully at Master Splinter.

            “No,” his father replied.  “You will remain here and recount to me tonight’s events.”

            “I can go with them, Master Splinter,” Mikey said brightly, his expression eager.

            Master Splinter stared at him through narrowed eyes for a moment and then nodded.  “Do so, but remember that you are under Raphael’s command.”

            “Gotcha,” Mikey said, ignoring Raph’s groan as he bounced out of the lab behind Mr. O’Neil.

            That Mikey was up to something by volunteering to go with them Don had no doubt.  When Don looked over and noticed the slightly relieved expression on Leo’s face, he began to wonder if his little brother was playing Cupid.


	54. 54. Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,378  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don had the lab to himself after Mr. O’Neil left with Raph, Casey, and Mikey.  Master Splinter had requested that Leo join him in the dojo and April was still with Mrs. Jones.

            It was finally quiet enough for Don to think and he leaned back in his chair, staring at the diagram of the human brain that he’d drawn on his chalkboard.  As amazing as it was, the brain was not without its flaws; many things could disrupt the signals that it received.

            All Don needed was one; a single thing that could short out the Kraang mind control device without also harming the human host.

            While a part of Don’s mind worked to untangle that knot, something else occupied another portion of his thoughts.  What he believed that he had witnessed between his two older brothers left him flabbergasted.

            Don was having a hard time reconciling the fact that it appeared Leo and Raph had a not so brotherly interest in each other.  The concept was beyond his comprehension.  As far as Don knew, Leo liked girls.  Leo had even seemed to have a crush on Karai at one time.

            Shaking his head, Don chastised himself.  He should have learned from his interactions with Casey not to make those kinds of assumptions; it wasn’t inconceivable that Leo might like both sexes.  That preference certainly appeared to be contagious at the moment.

            The genius turtle could not even begin to imagine what Master Splinter would say if he found out.  Don had been hiding the whole Casey situation from his father for fear of his reaction; this bombshell about his brothers was ten times worse.

            It also explained why Leo seemed jealous of Casey.  This revelation actually cleared up a lot of the things that had been happening.  Leo’s attempt to manipulate Don into spending time with Casey was now an obvious ploy to keep Raph and Casey separate because of that jealousy.  Don wondered if Mikey was knowingly stepping in to do that job because Leo had asked him to, or because Mikey was feeling altruistic.

            Raph certainly wasn’t helping the situation by constantly fawning over Casey.  Could Raph have a thing for both of them?  At this point anything was possible, Don decided.

            His ruminations were interrupted when Leo came back into the lab.  The turtle leader looked grim and Don felt sorry for him.  Leo had a tough job and romantic feelings probably didn’t ease the strain; Don knew this from personal experience.

            “You got anything, Donnie?” Leo asked.

            “Actually I think I might,” Don said, happy to focus on the Kraang problem.  “It’s an idea I got when I was talking to Mr. O’Neil.  I just have to figure out the best way to implement it.”

            “Bounce the idea off of me, maybe we can work it out together,” Leo suggested.

            “I believe that I can isolate the point of origin for the signal the Kraang are using to send instructions to the mind control devices.  If I piggyback another signal alongside it, the resultant combination would be too large for the devices to properly process.

            “In other words, the massive amount of instruction would overload the mind control device’s ability to process the information.  The devices are incapable of aggregating a large amount of sensory input, so in essence the device would burn out.”

            Leo’s eyes were narrowed in concentration.  “Frying the device isn’t going to also harm the host?”

            “No, it shouldn’t,” Don said.  “Well, at least not in theory.  The device should overload before it has a chance to relay any instructions to the brain’s neuro pathway.  Sort of like flooding the engine of a car with gasoline; it doesn’t damage the engine, but you can’t start it either.

            “Once the device is burned out it will destroy the necklace’s functions as well.  At that point the device would drop off of the host’s neck because the connection that keeps it attached would be dead.  The host would be left with nothing more than a necklace with a really big clasp.”

            “When you say it will burn out, are you talking permanently?” Leo asked.

            “I believe so,” Don said, his fingers toying with the device components lying on his table.  “I’d like to try my theory on a smaller scale before I attempt it for real.”

            Leo studied him before asking, “You’re talking about Casey’s mom, aren’t you?”

            “Yes,” Don admitted.  “Her device is still functional, it’s just on something like auto-replay; sending the same message over and over.  That’s why she’s very nearly catatonic.  If I can isolate the signal on her device and latch on to it with my own signal, I can overload it.”

            “If that works, then how do you propose to proceed?” Leo asked.

            “I think the signal is emanating from a point inside the TCRI building, probably in the tower,” Don said.  “They are either broadcasting directly or bouncing their signal off of a satellite.  I could set up my equipment somewhere nearby; we wouldn’t even have to go inside the building this time.  I’d have to be pretty high up though.  There’s a cell tower on top of a high rise office complex about a half a block away from TCRI that would be perfect.”

            “How long will it take you to make a test version?  You know Casey is going to be anxious and ready to rush into a fight until his mom is back to normal,” Leo said.

            Don nodded, knowing Casey’s frame of mind very well.  He also knew that what Leo wasn’t saying was that if Casey went off looking for a fight, he’d more than likely drag Raph with him.  If Mrs. Jones was back to normal, then Casey would go home with her and wouldn’t be hanging around the lair _or_ Raph.

            Or April either, for that matter.  Or me, Don added as an afterthought.

            “I’ll work as fast as I can,” Don assured his brother.  “I might be able to have a prototype finished in twelve to twenty-four hours depending on whether I have the components I’ll need in order to make it.  Don’t tell the others because I don’t want Casey breathing down my neck while I’m working.  Let them hook Mrs. Jones up to the intravenous line.”

            “All right,” Leo said.

            Instead of leaving Don to work, Leo just stood there, looking at his brother as though there was something else on his mind.  Don’s stomach sank; he didn’t want to talk about what he’d overheard between his brothers and was afraid that’s what Leo was contemplating asking him about.

            If Don admitted to hearing their conversation, he’d be forcing Leo to lie about its meaning and he didn’t want his older brother to do that.  Leo had an aversion to lying and might avoid it by spilling his guts to Don, which was something the younger turtle didn’t want to hear either.  Once that floodgate was opened, Don would be Leo’s confidant for life.

            “Something else?” Don asked with as neutral an expression as he could manage.

            Leo took a deep breath.  “About what Raph and I said to each other . . . I hope you didn’t misunderstand.”

            “What you said?”  Don frowned.  “I’m sorry Leo, I was researching what I thought was wrong with Mrs. Jones and wasn’t paying attention.  I figured the two of you were just arguing again and I’ve heard that a thousand times.”

            “Oh.”  The relieved look on Leo’s face was so conspicuous that under normal circumstances Don would have pounced on it.

            “I should get to work on making that prototype,” Don said, as though the only thing on his mind was that task and everything else was a bother.  “If you want to do me a big favor, try to keep everyone out of here, except Mr. O’Neil because I could probably use his help.  Or April of course.”

            “Of course,” Leo repeated with a broad smile.

            Leo’s step was a lot happier when he left than it had been when he came in.  Don breathed a sigh of relief and tried to push everything extraneous out of his mind as he set to work on his signal mimicking prototype.


	55. 55. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,455  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Growing up there had always been something to do.  Survival dictated constant movement, perpetual planning, and continual vigilance.  Between the times spent hunting for items they might be able to use and for food that was edible, the turtle brothers had trained, both physically and mentally.

            Those few precious periods of downtime when they weren’t actually sleeping had been devoted to play or in Donatello’s case, study.  He had always been inquisitive and his agile mind relished every source of information he could get his hands on.  Be it books, magazines, newspapers, or even brochures and flyers, Don would read every line of text avidly.

            There had been no boredom for the purple banded turtle and no tedium.  It was only since the Kraang invasion that Don had been required to learn to deal with the one thing he found distasteful – waiting.

            Of the various definitions of ‘wait’ that Don had found in his dictionary, the one that he could most relate to was “to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens”.  To Don that meant _forced_ inaction; periods of time when there was nothing else that he could do _but_ wait.  They were stressful to the young genius because his mind was never at rest.  There were always dozens of things he knew he could be working on, but the kind of waiting that Don and his brothers had to do because of the Kraang kept him from all of his tasks.

            Don hadn’t slept in the last forty hours, instead devoting his time to creating a prototype gadget that would hopefully mimic the signal the Kraang sent to their mind control devices.  While he had been working on that, Mr. O’Neil and his bodyguards had returned with the much needed medical equipment.

            Even though Don had told Leo he’d leave it to April’s dad to hook Mrs. Jones up to the intravenous line, he’d gone to assist the man.  It was his first opportunity to do something like that and he wanted to learn.  After helping Mr. O’Neil start an IV drip, Don had taken Mrs. Jones’ vital signs, jotting them down in a chart that would be kept in her room.  He’d returned to his lab soon after that, feeling the weight of Casey’s eyes on him, though the boy had said nothing.

            Periodically a family member would come in to check on him, though they did so as inconspicuously as possible.  His most frequent and most welcomed visitor was April, who was the one to bring him food and drink.  She often remained, quietly offering support and listening with keen attention whenever he needed to bounce ideas around.

            When she asked questions they were intelligent and exhibited an understanding of the subject that filled Don with pride.  Often she would ask how he was feeling and then admonish him to eat, following up by urging him to stop and sleep.

            To Don, April’s visits were a lot more invigorating than a nap, but in reality that stimulation only lasted for a finite amount of time.  Once the adrenaline wore off the fatigue would threaten his focus, though Don pushed on.  It wasn’t long before he had to admit to himself that he was exhausted.

            During that time Casey was conspicuous in his absence.  Don knew the boy was spending as much time as possible with his mother, but sometimes Don could hear Casey’s voice coming from out in the lair and knew he was interacting with the rest of the family.

            Casey did not try to see him and the few times that Don ventured out of his lab, Casey avoided him.

            Don wasn’t sure why that hurt but it did.  He’d spent many, many hours wishing that Casey would stop hanging off of his shell and now that his wish had seemingly been granted, Don felt wounded.  He had already been through the pain of rejection with April over her father’s mutation, now Don felt like he was experiencing it all over again.

            He shouldn’t care that much, Don chided himself.  The only one who mattered was April; Casey was a nuisance.  This turn of events solved Don’s problems because he no longer had to make any decisions about the thing Casey had discussed with him.

            It also left Casey free for Raph which was a double bonus.  If the boy could occupy enough of the hot head’s time and attention, perhaps Raph would forget the crazy notion he had of pursuing his own brother.  Leo would eventually figure out that starting up with Raph was a bad idea in more ways than one and he’d return his focus to leading his team.

            All of that had worked its way through Don’s mind during the hours he’d spent on his signaling gadget.  With the prototype in hand, Don had gone to Mrs. Jones’ room, quickly followed by the rest of the household.

            Every one of those agonizing hours had led to this moment as Don flipped a switch on his hand held gadget, dialed in a modulation based on the harmonic signal the mind control device was giving off, and proceeded to do that which he despised so much - wait.

            For several moments nothing happened.  Casey held his mother’s hand and April stood by with a sleep mask so that they could keep Mrs. Jones from seeing anything.  Mr. O’Neil had rolled the IV equipment to a corner of the room after removing the drip from Casey’s mom and remained there out of the way.

            Frowning, Don dialed up the power output, watching Mrs. Jones as he did so.  Almost immediately she twitched and her mouth opened with a gasp.

            In another second her eyes began to flutter and she tried to sit up.  Casey caught her shoulders to keep her against the bed and April placed the mask over her eyes.

            “Ow!” Mrs. Jones exclaimed suddenly, half turning towards Casey despite his hold.  Don saw the mind control device that was on her neck glow brightly red and then it fell off of her.

            “It’s okay Ma, I’m here,” Casey told her in as gentle a voice as Don had ever heard from him.  “Don’t move okay?  You passed out at the bus stop and me and my friends found you.”

            “I can’t see,” Mrs. Jones said, trying to reach up to her eyes.

            “We put a mask on you because we don’t want to overload your senses right now,” Mr. O’Neil said.

            “Who is that?  Where am I Casey?” Mrs. Jones asked.

            “I was with my friend April, the girl who tutors me, when we found you.  We’re at her place,” Casey said.

            “I’m Kirby O’Neil,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “I’m a licensed psychiatrist but I’ve had some medical training and the kids brought you to me.  Do you want to go to a hospital?  How do you feel?”

            “No hospital,” Mrs. Jones said quickly.

            “That’s what I told them, Ma,” Casey said soothingly.

            Mrs. Jones reached for him and he took her hand again.  “I haven’t been sleeping well; I must have overdone it.  I feel fine now.”

            “Just stay here for a while, okay Ma?”  Casey patted the back of her hand.  “I’ll be right here with you.  Let’s make sure you don’t have any more dizzy spells before we try to go home.”

            “You’re a good boy,” Mrs. Jones slurred, sounding sleepy.  “I think I will rest for a while.”

            Very quietly, the others slipped out of the room, moving far enough away so that their voices wouldn’t bother the sleeping woman.

            “You did it, Donny!” April exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the ecstatic turtle.

            For once Don managed to get past his surprise and he hugged her in return.  “Thanks, April.  You were a big help,” Don whispered against her hair.

            Master Splinter touched his shoulder.  “Very well done, Donatello.  You have once more surpassed yourself.”

            “When she’s in a nice, deep sleep, I’ll get that Kraang necklace off of her so you can examine it,” Mr. O’Neil told him.

            “Thank you sir,” Don said as April slowly slid out of his arms.  “I’d like to make sure the internal components are completely destroyed.”

            “And then you can work on a larger model of your gizmo so we can rescue the rest of the citizens from the Kraang,” Leo said.

            April wound her arm through Don’s and told the leader in blue, “First Don is going to get some sleep and then he’ll work on everything else.”

            Once more Don meekly followed April as she led him to his bedroom.  That was something he was pretty sure he’d never argue with her about.


	56. 56. Danger Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,455  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            April fell asleep on the bed next to Donatello.

            Don didn’t think she’d meant to do that but it was obvious that she was a lot more tired than she’d let on to him.  After pushing Don into his bedroom, she’d waited with her back turned as he slipped out of his gear and crawled under the bedcovers.  When he was prone, April had come to sit on the edge of the bed, gently stroking his forehead and cooing soft words as she did so.

            He had protested weakly that he needed to finish the larger version of the gadget that would destroy the Kraang mind control devices.  Don had insisted he wouldn’t be able to sleep because his mind wasn’t going to shut down.  April simply smiled at him, ignoring his weak protests, and continued to smooth the worry from his brow.

            Of course he had fallen asleep.  It wasn’t true that he couldn’t think about anything but his project.  With April sitting on the bed next to him all that Don could actually think about was her.

            To awaken several hours later and find that she was stretched out beside him was the most glorious feeling in the world.  Don pushed himself onto an elbow slowly, careful not to wake her.  April had used her arm as a pillow and she lay on her side facing him.  Her other hand was curled up next to where Don’s head had been so she must have dozed off while she was soothing him to sleep.

            One of her legs was pressed alongside his and even though the covers separated them, Don could still feel the warmth of April’s skin.  He could also smell her shampoo and the lotion she used; he could see every freckle on her face and the way her eyelashes curled at the tips.

            Even with her hair disheveled and her mouth slightly open, April was the most beautiful thing Don had ever seen.  He inhaled deeply, pulling her scent in so that it could flow through his bloodstream; hoping that in some small way that would make her forever a part of him.

            Don’s heartbeat quickened as he stared at her, his eyelids refusing even to lower for fear he’d miss one second of a view he knew he could look at for a lifetime and never grow tired of.  That he was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with April O’Neil was as glaringly obvious as the sun on a hot day.

            As though feeling his stare, April shifted before exhaling with a small sigh.  Her eyelids slowly lifted and a small frown creased her brow as she blinked to clear her vision.

            “Don?” April asked in a soft, confused tone.

            “You fell asleep here,” Don told her gently.  “I guess you were as tired as I was.  We’ve been out for hours.”

            She smiled.  “Felt great.  I haven’t slept that soundly in weeks.  I guess having a ninja watching over you is good for your peace of mind.”

            “Feel free to avail yourself of my services anytime,” Don said and then blushed, realizing what he’d just said.

            April giggled.  “You’d better not let my dad hear you say that.”

            At the mention of Mr. O’Neil, Don’s eyes widened.  “Do you think he wonders where you’ve been all this time?”

            April’s smile faded.  “Maybe he’ll think I went to my room.  Unless he needed me for something he wouldn’t check there.”

            “He’s been paranoid over your whereabouts ever since the Kraang kidnapped you,” Don reminded her.  “I’d hate for him to find you here and misunderstand.  I mean . . . um, he probably doesn’t think of you and me like that . . . uh, what I’m trying to say . . . .”

            Don stumbled over his words, seemingly unable to stop the string of innuendos from slipping out.  April reached up and pressed her fingers to his mouth, the corners of her lips upturned in amusement.  “Enough.  He knows you like me, Donnie.”

            “He does?”  Don stared at her.  Then he realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask April the same question that Casey had asked.  If he could get her to tell him the truth, then he wouldn’t have to pretend he didn’t know. 

            With his mind flashing him signals that warned of danger ahead if he handled this wrong, Don carefully formulated his next question.

            “Do you . . .  do _you_ know that I like you?” Don finally asked.

            A hint of red colored April’s cheeks.  “I could say that I know you like me just like I know your brothers like me,” she said.  “But maybe this is a good time to talk about it a little.  Yes Donnie, I know you like me in a special way.  You haven’t exactly been subtle about it.”

            It was Don’s turn to look disconcerted.  “I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”

            “I wouldn’t say you made me feel uncomfortable,” April said.  “I think I was more worried that you guys wouldn’t take me seriously as a kunoichi if I acknowledged that I knew how you felt.  I thought you might think it was a green light to be even more protective of me than you already were.  I want you to believe that I can handle most situations myself and that I have enough sense to know when to ask for help.”

            “I don’t think you can’t handle stuff,” Don said hastily.  “I think you’re pretty incredible.  In just a few months you’ve learned things that normally take years to master.  You got away from Karai that first time you two tangled and she’s been training since she was a small child.”

            “That wasn’t so much skill as it was a lucky break,” April said ruefully.

            “You turned it into a lucky break by seizing an opportunity,” Don corrected her.  “Not everyone could have seen their chance and known what to do with it.  That’s talent.”

            “Do you really think so?” April asked, gazing up at Don.

            He nodded, his eyes locked on hers.  The urge to lean down and kiss her was almost overwhelming, but he was afraid to be so bold when he hadn’t given her a chance to tell him about her feelings.

            “April, I think you can do anything you set your mind to,” Don said.  “I’m not just saying that either; I really believe it.  There isn’t anything holding you back and I guess that’s part of the reason I haven’t wanted to tell you how I felt.  I’m a mutant turtle living in the sewers and my brothers were right when they said it was ridiculous for me to think you’d care for me as anything other than a friend.”

            Don hadn’t meant to sound quite so forlorn, but as he talked he realized he still had doubts and insecurities about the way April might really feel.  Suppose she’d told Casey she liked Don in order to make the boy jealous and wasn’t actually speaking the truth?

            “Oh Donnie,” April said, the words coming out in something like a sigh.  “I would never be so superficial.  I prefer to choose who I care for based on their character and their qualities.  You’ve got an abundance of both of those things.  Let’s not forget that I’m not completely human either.  I’m still trying to let that soak in.”

            Feeling his face heat up, Don asked, “So maybe you could . . . maybe there’s a chance . . . do you think I’m . . . .”

            April sat up so that her face was close to Don’s, her eyes holding his in their soft blue gaze.  “You’re babbling,” April told him, sounding pleasantly amused.

            “Sorry,” Don responded, feeling acutely embarrassed.

            “Don’t be, it’s very flattering.”  With two fingers, April gently stroked his cheek.  “I do like you Donnie, in a way that’s different from how I like your brothers.  I think we should leave it at that for a while.  The situation with our enemies right now is making everything pretty intense and that isn’t always the best time to figure out how true our feelings are.  Don’t you agree?”

            “Yes,” Don managed to answer, his voice coming out in a whisper.  April liked him as more than a friend.  He’d heard it straight from her perfect mouth and he was currently floating on air.

            As long as he had a chance with April, Don couldn’t ask for anything more.  The nagging worry about Casey was pushed to the back of his mind and Don was determined to let it sit back there until it withered and all thoughts of the boy disappeared.


	57. 57. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,775  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don didn’t have much time to enjoy the revelation that April thought she might like him as more than just a friend.  As much as he would have preferred to stay in bed with her, it was prudent that she leave his room before anyone realized they’d fallen asleep together.

            Although the situation was completely innocent, it would be best not to have to convince anyone else of that fact.

            After checking that the coast was clear, April left Don’s bedroom a couple of minutes before he did.  Once he was sure she’d had time to duck into her own room, Don headed towards his lab.

            Halfway there and thinking that they’d lucked out in not being seen Don was startled by the sound of rattling paper and spun around.  Perched atop the pinball machine was Mikey, a comic book in one hand and a wide grin on his face.  Staring at him for a second, Don wondered if his younger brother ever slept.

            Don chose to avoid a discussion with Mikey about what he’d observed; hoping that for the time being his brother would continue his policy of keeping secrets.  Later, when the current Kraang challenge had been dealt with, Don would talk to Mikey about a lot of things.  Since Don was capable of building almost anything, he could always offer his brother a bribe as an inducement to spilling his guts.

            Once he was in his lab, Don pushed all other thoughts aside and concentrated on creating a larger signal gadget.  Since he now knew his prototype worked and because he had all of the necessary parts, it was but the work of a few hours for him to build an operational machine.

            While they waited for darkness to fall, Leonardo outlined his plan of attack.  Mikey and Raph would be deployed to strategic locations near the TCRI building where they could observe citizens who had been fitted with one of the mind control devices.  When they saw the devices begin to fall off of people, they would relay that information to Leo who would pass it on to Donatello.  In this way Don would know when he’d hit the correct frequency.

            Because Don needed both hands to operate his gadget, Leo would act as his bodyguard.  April wanted to go with them but her father immediately nixed the idea.  He had two reasons; his fear for her safety and that although sedated, Mrs. Jones might require the kind of assistance only another female could give her.

            Casey was mostly quiet as the plan details were ironed out.  He leaned against a wall in Don’s lab and kept his distance from the purple banded turtle, even avoiding eye contact.  Don assumed that Casey meant to tag along with Raph when they separated to go to their designated posts.

            When the time finally came for them to split up, Casey announced that he was going to the top of the high rise with Leo.

            “I thought you’d wanna be down here where the action is,” Raph said, eyeing his friend.

            “Ya’ know how I’m always telling ya’ I like to follow my gut?” Casey asked rhetorically.  “Well my gut says to stick with that gadget.”

            He pointed at Don’s creation and the turtle didn’t fail to note how Casey avoided saying his name.  Don knew that he’d been harsh when trying to stop Casey from going after his mom but the reality of the situation should have been enough proof for the boy to forgive him.

            Although Don had initially been hurt by Casey’s cold shoulder, he now started to feel a little angry.  What he’d said to the boy was blunt but it was also true.  Not to mention the fact that it was Don who had found a way to release Mrs. Jones from the Kraang’s control.  Having Casey treat him like he was invisible certainly wasn’t fair.

            Don decided that two could play that game so he made no comment about Casey’s choice to join him and Leo.  Instead he wordlessly began ascending the fire escape that was attached to the side of the building; hearing rather than seeing Leo start up after him.  From the corner of his eye, Donatello saw Mikey and Raph separate and start towards opposite ends of the block.

            It was quite a climb, even for a ninja turtle that was in top physical condition.  When Don and Leo reached the roof, they both paused for a minute to catch their breath.  Hearing the rattle of the fire escape, Don looked over his shoulder and watched as Casey pulled himself over the ledge, collapsing on the rooftop in an exhausted heap.

            Don was sure that Casey was now a non-factor, but the boy surprised him by rising onto his knees.  His face was red and his hair more disheveled than ever, but after gulping down a few lungful’s of oxygen, Casey stood up.

            Turning away before Casey could see the look of admiration on his face, Don made his way over to the cell tower.  As Don climbed the metal girders on the mast, Leo took up a position at the edge of the roof overlooking the TCRI building.

            Finding himself a relatively safe perch, Don balanced the large signal gadget on his knees and flipped the switch to activate it.  Taking a deep breath, he dialed in the same modulation that had worked on Mrs. Jones’ mind control device and then began to slowly boost the signal strength.

            Other than the sound of the wind blowing around him, Don was surrounded by total silence as he worked.  Every once in a while he would glance down at Leo and Casey to see if either of them was motioning that they’d noticed something, but they were both focused on the Kraang’s headquarters.

            Don soon began to near the upper range of power on his gadget and began to worry that he’d miscalculated the required power output.  Either his contraption needed to be modified, or they might have to infiltrate the TCRI building once more.

            Then he heard Leo whistle and looked down.  His brother was holding his T-Phone, his blue eyes starting to shine as he listened to one of the other turtles relay some news.

            “It’s working!” Leo shouted so that Don could hear him.  “Raph says the devices are falling off of people!”

            Elated, Don turned the power up to full, feeling the gadget begin to heat up.  It wouldn’t last long at the current setting, but it didn’t have to.  His signal, riding piggyback on the one being sent from TCRI to the mind control devices, would quickly overload the Kraang technology.

            Leo was staring up at him, calling out reports from Mikey and Raph while Don fiddled with the gadget he was holding.  Neither of them was watching the TCRI building any longer and that proved to be a mistake.

            “Donnie!” Casey yelled, startling the turtle into looking up.

            An entire wall of one of the top floors of the TCRI building had opened up and three round metallic crafts flew out, all of them aiming straight for the tower Don was sitting on.

            “Don, get down!” Leo ordered, tucking his T-Phone into his belt and drawing his swords in one swift movement.

            The genius turtle didn’t have to be told; he’d already started down.  Unfortunately, the signal gadget was bulky and Don couldn’t move as fast as he’d like.  He would have dropped it, but he wanted it working for as long as possible.

            Three long mechanical arms shot out of the first craft, each tipped with a heavy clamp.  Before it could reach Don, Leo jumped in front of it to draw it off, neatly slicing one of its arms off as it turned to come for him.

            When the second craft neared, Casey yanked one of his paint can grenades off a strap and lit the tiny fuse that was pushed into the spray nozzle.  Waving his hockey stick in the air to get the craft to swerve in his direction, Casey threw the can at it.

            One of the clamps swung around and caught the can in mid-air but the force of the throw caused the can to burst as the clamp closed on it.  The force of the explosion blew the arm off and sent the craft spiraling away from the building.

            With the third craft bearing down on him, Don tossed his signaling gadget at it and made a leap for the cross beams below him.  As he plummeted, he saw Casey starting to climb towards him.

            Don felt the air behind him change suddenly and then something hard and solid snapped down on his carapace.  His head and limbs jerked forward as the momentum of his fall was abruptly halted.

            Clawing at the metal beams of the tower, Don managed to wrap his fingertips around one but his grip wasn’t strong enough.  The alien craft flew back from the building, the metal arm that had caught Donatello yanking him loose from his tenuous hold on safety.

            Dangling in mid-air, Don saw Casey bounding up the steel cross beams quick as a monkey.  In a second Don realized what Casey meant to do and panic gripped him.

            “No!  Casey, no!” Don screamed, the plea tearing his vocal cords with its intensity.

            Casey didn’t listen.  Bending his knees, he jumped straight for Don.

            Almost as if seeing it in slow motion, Don watched Casey fling himself into the air, his arms stretched out towards the turtle.  Don stopped breathing, reaching towards the boy as best he could in his awkward position, knowing that he wouldn’t catch Casey in time.

            A million thoughts flashed through Don’s mind as he saw Casey start to fall.  Bile rose in his throat, his heart thudded painfully in his chest, and his eyes stung as tears began to well up in them.

            Then one of Casey’s hands curled around Don’s ankle and he jolted to a stop, hanging precariously high above the streets.  His added weight tugged on the metallic arm and Don’s shell started to slide out of the clamp.

            Don closed his eyes, sure that they were both going to fall to the pavement below, when he felt the clamp tighten and he stopped slipping.  Casey wrapped his arms around Don’s leg and held on as they were both flown back towards the TCRI building to become captives of the Kraang.

            Casey had made an incredible sacrifice in trying to save Don.  Hopefully it wasn’t going to end up being the death of him.


	58. 58. Kick in the Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,611  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview art created for this story by the very talented MomoRawrr on DeviantArt.

            Don woke up on a cold stone floor, feeling as though he’d received a good hard kick in the head.

            It was pounding steadily as he pushed himself off of the floor and looked around.  He was locked in a cell very similar to the one he’d helped Mr. O’Neil escape from, so his guess was that they were trapped somewhere beneath the TCRI building.

            _They_.  His painfully aching head cleared enough for him to remember the last thing that had happened before he lost consciousness.  Something that felt like the shock from a lightning bolt had hit him as he was carried through the opening in the side of the Kraang’s headquarters.  Casey was still clinging to him at the time and must have been shocked into unconsciousness as well.

            Casey wasn’t in the cell with him and Don frantically rushed to the door, pulling at it before looking through the narrow set of bars that served as a window.  If Casey was knocked out while they were so high up, he would have lost his grip and fallen.

            “Casey!” Don shouted, pressing his face against the bars and looking up and down the row of cells that surrounded his.  “Casey Jones!  Casey!”

            Grabbing the bars, Don tugged at them but nothing budged.  Heart hammering in his chest, Don tried to fight his rising panic as he once more yelled, “Casey!  Casey!”

            “Stop yelling,” a slightly groggy voice insisted from behind the door directly across from his.  “My head hurts.”

            “Casey!” Don exclaimed, overcome with relief.  “Are you all right?  Come to the window.”

            “Gimme a minute to peel myself off the floor,” Casey answered.  “Oh man, they took my mask.”

            Don spluttered with laughter at the inanity of Casey’s lament, more than happy to see the boy’s face at the window a second later.

            “Did anyone get the number of that spaceship that hit me?” Casey asked with a groan.  “You okay, Donnie?”

            “Other than a bad headache, yes,” Don told him.  “My bo staff is gone.”

            “They got my sticks and bat along with my mask,” Casey said.  “I’ve still got everything else.  Why’d they take my mask?”

            “They probably wanted to see if you were human or another one of my robots,” Don said.  “Or maybe they just wanted a look at your face.”

            “Can’t blame them for that, I am pretty good-looking,” Casey quipped with some of his old cockiness.

            “Not with that make-up you aren’t,” Don said dryly.

            “Heck, that’s easy enough to fix,” Casey said with a grin, using his sleeve to scrub the white and black grease paint off his skin.  “There.  Is that better?”

            “You’re still ugly,” Don said with a laugh.  “I hope I can figure out that easy of a solution for getting us out of here.  It doesn’t seem like they took anything from my belt; let me see if I can find a way to jump the resistors on the control panel.”

            He found his goggles still in his belt and slipped them on to get a better look at the alien technology that controlled the door’s locking mechanism.  Squatting in front of the screen with its flashing blue lights, he took a moment to study it.

            “It sounds like we’re by ourselves down here,” Casey said, his voice keeping Donatello company.  “I know why they grabbed you; they’re probably gonna probe your mind for secrets.  What do ya’ suppose they’re gonna do with me?”

            “Experimentation would be my guess,” Don said, concentrating on the panel.  “Maybe they’ll mutate you.”

            “Great bedside manner ya’ got there, Donatello,” Casey said wryly.  “At least I know you’re always gonna be honest.”

            Don felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he’d not been entirely honest with anyone lately except perhaps April.  When he had been brutally honest, he’d managed to alienate the youth who was now a captive of the Kraang along with him, an event that was entirely Don’s fault.

            “I don’t know why you risked your life jumping off a high-rise to grab my legs,” Don said, his voice sounding gruff to his own ears.  “The last time I tried to be honest with you about something you stopped talking to me.  I got the idea that you hated me.”

            Casey was quiet for a time and Don turned his attention back to the control panel.  There was a small tool box in his belt from which he extracted an implement with which to pry the housing loose.

            “I shouldn’t have gotten so mad about that,” Casey finally said in a low voice.  “I’m kinda touchy on the subject of my Ma.  My dad ran around behind her back and got another woman pregnant after I was born.  He left Ma and me to be with her and then that woman ran off to go live with some other guy in Montana.  She left dad to raise my little sister.  The only one my Ma’s ever had who stuck with her was me.”

            That revelation made Don feel like even more of a heel.  “Geez Casey, I’m sorry.  Do you ever see your dad?”

            “Sometimes,” Casey said and Don could almost hear him shrug.  “We’ll meet up in the park so I can see my kid sister.  She’s a peach.  I wouldn’t have anything to do with him if it wasn’t for her.  He ain’t ever been there when we needed him; didn’t even give my mom money to help with bills.  I guess I’ve got some repressed anger over that and took it out on you when ya’ said the Kraang might experiment on my Ma.”

            “I really, really wasn’t trying to be mean,” Don said hastily.  “I couldn’t think of any other way to get through to you in order to stop you from running off after her.”

            “When I saw the Kraang grab ya’, I think I realized that,” Casey admitted.  “I think I understood a lot of things in that moment.  Like all ya’ ever do is try to help people.  Seeing ya’ flying through the air like that made me think that might be our last minutes together and I didn’t want to lose ya’ that way, with ya’ believing that I didn’t like ya’ anymore.”

            Don’s mind skipped back to just before the group had split up, when they were all standing in the alley behind the high rise.  As the others discussed who would go where, Mikey had sidled up next to him.

            _“When are you two gonna kiss and make up?” Mikey had asked in a low voice._

_Don frowned as he turned his head to stare at his brother.  “April and I aren’t fighting.”_

_“Not April, him.”  Mikey looked pointedly at Casey._

_“He’s Raph’s friend.  I couldn’t care less that he’s mad at me,” Don had told him._

_“R~ight,” Mikey had replied mockingly._

            Don hadn’t had time to make a snappy comeback to his brother’s insinuation because they’d separated at that point.  It was amazing how Mikey could see past the bluster and denial to the truth of things.  Uncanny even.  He’d been right of course; it did bother Don that Casey was angry at him.

            Despite his determination to ignore Casey’s professed feelings and focus on April, Don couldn’t quite manage that.  He was fooling himself when he’d imagined he could.  His feelings for April were in no way diminished; he loved her deeply and wanted her with all his heart.  He also had to acknowledge that he was feeling an attraction to Casey as well.

            “I don’t know what kind of luck I’m going to have with these controls,” Don said.  “Jumping the resistors will either open this door or it’ll be stuck so badly even the Kraang won’t be able to open it.”

            “How’d ya’ get it open when ya’ got stuck in one with Mr. O’Neil?” Casey asked.

            “I didn’t,” Don replied.  “I’d just started looking at the controls when the Newtralizer blew the door open.”

            “Blew it open huh?” Casey repeated in a tone that got Don’s attention.

            Standing up, Don crossed over to the door and lifted his goggles so he could look across the hall towards Casey’s cell.  He didn’t see the boy at the window and warning signals started going off in his head.

            “Casey, what are you doing?” Don asked worriedly.

            “Fire in the hole!” Casey yelled.

            Instinctively, Don ducked, just as an explosion shook the walls and floor.  Dirt pelted his skin and smoke rolled in through the window.

            “Casey!” Don shouted, darting back to the window to look out.

            He saw a shadowy figure through the smoke clouding the hallway, and then heard Casey say, “Get back away from the door.”

            There was no time to ask questions nor did Don waste any trying to formulate some.  He spun on his heels and dashed away from the door, curling into a far corner with his carapace to the entrance.

            A second explosion, this one even louder, sounded from behind him and Don felt the concussion slam into his shell.  A heavy thump followed the explosion, telling Don that the door had fallen to the ground.

            Very slowly, Don got up and turned around.  The smoke was still hanging in the air, but most of it had drifted into the hall so that the heaviest concentration was only waist high.

            Out of the billowing cloud Casey came striding towards him, a cocky grin on his face.  Before Don could move, Casey grasped his hips in both hands and leaned towards him.

            “Hey gap-tooth,” Casey said, his tone both satisfied and slightly lascivious.


	59. 59. No Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,378  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Taken aback by Casey’s approach, Don managed to sputter indignantly, “Stop calling me that.”

            “I like it though,” Casey told him.  “That gap is sexy.”

            “Now is not the time or place . . . .” Don began.

            Casey interrupted him.  “This is the first time I ever saw ya’ without your mask.  I could get used to it.”

            “Were you knocked out by the stun ray or did you hit your head?” Don asked incredulously, pulling back from the boy and waving a hand towards the door.  “How did you do that?”

            “They didn’t take any of the rest of my gear,” Casey said, still sounding pleased with himself.  “I just doubled the explosive charge on my hockey pucks.”

            Don tucked his goggles into his belt and pulled his mask back into place.  “We need to move,” he said, jumping for the doorway and looking up and down the corridor.  “There is no way they won’t have heard that.”

            “Hey!” Casey exclaimed, shooting past Don and turning to the left.  “Our stuff!”

            Piled haphazardly against a far wall was their weapons and Casey’s mask.  Casey scooped up Don’s bo and tossed it to him before sliding his mask onto the top of his head, then sheathing his hockey sticks and cradling his bat.

            “This is a dead end,” Don said, glancing around them.  “There’s a turn at the other end of the corridor, let’s try that direction.”

            Running as fast as they could, the duo made it to the turn and found themselves in another corridor.  Following that one they reached a cross tunnel that split in two separate directions.

            “Got any ideas?” Casey asked, looking at Don.

            “Yeah, we need to go up,” Don said.  “If we stay down here we’re just going to be running in circles.”

            “Be sure and let me know when you find a way up,” Casey said, looking behind them.  “We’ve got company.”

            Don spun around and saw three Kraang bots coming towards them, weapons raised.

            “The one who is the turtle who is the one wanted by Kraang will come with Kraang,” one of the Kraang intoned.

            “Do they always talk like that?” Casey asked.

            “Pretty much,” Don answered, bo staff ready.

            Casey tapped the palm of his hand with his bat.  “Ya’ got an answer for them?”

            “The same one you’re thinking of,” Don said.

            Yelling at the top of his lungs, Casey charged towards the Kraang.  Don matched him step for step as the pair bore down on the aliens, ducking beneath the laser fire and swiftly closing the distance between them.

            Their weapons swung in almost identical arcs; Casey’s bat against the head of the nearest Kraang bot while Don’s bo struck another’s weapon.  The Kraang fired just as the bo connected and it knocked the weapon to the side which caused the laser to strike the third Kraang, cutting it in half.

            When the bot tried to shoot again, Don jabbed his bo staff directly into the face of the Kraang inside of it.  The little alien squealed and the bot stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.  The Kraang jumped out of it and scurried towards Don, who swept his bo down like a golf club, catching the alien and sending it smashing into the wall.

            “Nice swing!” Casey exclaimed appreciatively.

            Don whipped around to find Casey standing over a downed Kraang bot, one foot on the bot and his bat resting on his shoulder.

            “Don’t get cocky,” Don warned.  “We need to go.”

            Leading the way, Don began running through corridors again, doing his best to keep track of the direction they were taking so they wouldn’t wind up where they’d started from.  Every room they passed was a duplicate of the cells they’d broken out of, all of them empty.

            “They had to bring us down here somehow,” Casey said, looking through yet another cell window.

            “Without a map we’re not going to find their control room,” Don said.

            “Ya’ ain’t telling me we’ve got no way out, are ya’?” Casey asked.

            “No,” Don said, looking up towards the ceiling, “but we’re going to have to get creative.”

            He stopped beneath a large grate in the ceiling, holding his hand out to feel the air coming from it.  Casey followed his gaze.

            “What is that?” Casey asked.

            “It’s an air duct,” Don said.  “The Kraang breathe something other than oxygen, so I’m guessing this is pumped in to keep their captives alive.  That means it’s probably vented from the outside.”

            “Do ya’ suppose the shaft is big enough for us to crawl through?” Casey asked, stretching to his full height as he tried to grab the grate.

            Don pushed his bo staff into place on his carapace and pulled a small screw driver from his belt.  “Give me a boost so I can open the thing and we’ll see.”

            Casey twined his fingers together and bent down.  Don stepped into his cupped hands and swung a leg over Casey’s shoulders, balancing there as the boy stood up.

            Very quickly removing the screws that held one end of the grate in place, Don lowered it on squeaking hinges and peered up into the opening.  It was dark and dusty, but it also looked as though it was large enough for him to fit into.

            Bracing his elbows on the metal frame at the opening, Don slowly stood up on Casey’s shoulders.  With his upper body inside the duct he could see the horizontal section of duct work that took the air to different areas of their prison.

            Reaching up, Don grabbed onto the cross section and pulled himself all of the way inside.  Twisting his body, he slid feet first into the horizontal section of duct and then leaned down, stretching his arms out towards Casey.

            “Jump; I’ll catch you,” Don told him, keeping his voice low.

            There was a metallic clang from somewhere nearby and then, “Kraang will search the corridors that need to be searched.  Kraang must find the turtle that is wanted by Kraang.”

            Casey’s head turned towards the sound and Don hissed at him, “Up here Casey, be quick!”

            Quickly sheathing his bat, Casey stretched his hands upwards and leaped.  Don caught him and curved his hands around Casey’s wrists as he pulled the boy up into the air duct.

            When Casey was in the horizontal duct across from him, Don looked down and saw that the grate was still hanging open.

            “I’ve got to close that or the Kraang will know where we went,” Don whispered.  “I’m going to ease down and secure the grate; can you hang onto my legs?”

            “Shouldn’t be a problem since I already did that once,” Casey said, grinning at him.

            Don rolled his eyes.  “Do us both a favor and keep your voice down, would you?  Sound carries inside these ducts.”

            Without waiting for a response, Don eased his upper body into the vertical duct, using his forearms as a brace to keep from falling.  He felt Casey grab onto his legs once he was partway down and let the boy support his weight so that he could catch hold of the grate and swing it upwards.

            Using one finger to hold the grate in place, Don carefully maneuvered the first screw into its hole and the magnetic tip of his screwdriver kept it steady as Don turned it.  The sound of the Kraang search party grew louder and as Don prepared the second screw, a group of Kraang bots stepped into the corridor just below his hiding spot.

            “Kraang has found nothing,” one of the bots said.

            “Kraang must continue to search,” said another.

            Very slowly, Don started to ease the screw into its hole, keeping his eyes on the Kraang.  Unfortunately his aim was off slightly and the screw skidded on metal, the screwdriver’s tenuous hold not strong enough to keep it in place.

            Wide eyed, Don watched the screw fall, following its almost slow motion progress until it hit the ground next to one of the Kraang bots, bouncing a couple of times before rolling to a stop right next to the bot’s foot.

            With a teeth grinding grimace, Don squeezed his eyes shut.


	60. 60. Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,543  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            A full second of silence passed and Don quickly opened his eyes.  The screw, which had sounded incredibly loud in his ears when it hit the ground, hadn’t drawn the attention of the Kraang.

            They began to separate in order to continue the search for their escaped captives and Don murmured a silent invocation that none of the Kraang would see the loose screw on the floor.  The screw was kicked by one of the bots as they started to move and Don held his breath as it skittered across the floor, but once again it went unnoticed.

            By the time the Kraang disappeared from Don’s view the screw was resting in a crevice against one of the walls.  With any luck, it would remain unseen to any other search parties who made their way down the corridor.

            Knowing he shouldn’t waste any more time, Don braced his arms against the sides of the air duct and pushed himself back towards the horizontal section where Casey waited.  As soon as he began moving Casey pulled on his legs, helping Don crawl to safety.

            “What took so long?” Casey asked anxiously, watching as Don stretched out on his plastron across from the boy.

            “The Kraang showed up,” Don explained.  “I couldn’t move because I thought they might hear me.  There are a lot of them down there searching for us.”

            “Well now we’re up here, so where to?” Casey asked. “It ain’t gonna be any more fun going in circles in here than it was doing that down there.”

            Don thought for a minute, feeling Casey’s eyes on him.  As he glanced up at the boy an idea struck him.  Reaching over quickly, Don caught a piece of Casey’s hair between his fingers and yanked it loose.

            “Hey!” Casey yelped.

            “Shh!” Don warned him again.  Holding the hair up so that Casey could see it, Don released it and watched as it drifted back towards Casey on a stream of air.

            “We follow the source of that air,” Don said, curling his body into as tight a ball as he could and twisting around so that he could lead the way.

            “Neat trick,” Casey murmured as he began to crawl along behind the turtle.  “Ya’ ain’t gonna have to do that too often are ya’?  I don’t wanna be bald when we finally get out of here.”

            Don chuckled.  “It grows back doesn’t it?”

            “Ooh watch out Donnie,” Casey said in a teasing tone, “your sense of humor is showing.”

            Crawling through the duct steadily, Don replied, “I do have a sense of humor you know.  It just works better in less stressful situations.”

            “Trust me pal, you’ve got one in stressful situations too,” Casey said.  “It’s called sarcasm.”

            “I didn’t think you’d noticed,” Don muttered.

            Casey didn’t respond for a second and then said, “I notice everything about you.  I’ve been paying attention since we met, you just didn’t know it.”

            This wasn’t a conversation Don wanted to have while he was trapped in a Kraang stronghold, crawling through duct work with Casey’s breath heating his calves. Rather than respond, Don turned his concentration on navigating his way through the conduit. He was surprised that Casey was respecting his silence, but he also noticed that the boy remained right on his tail, almost literally.

            Before long they reached another cross junction and Don stopped.

            “I’d ask ya’ which way to go but I’m afraid the answer will cost me some more hair,” Casey quipped lightly.

            “This time I’ll try a less painful way of determining that,” Don said, lifting one of his mask tails and letting the end drape loosely between his fingers.

            Though it wasn’t as light as a piece of hair, the end fluttered enough for Don to ascertain the wind current’s direction. He also noticed that while he was doing so Casey had maneuvered himself closer, actually crawling partway up between Donatello’s outstretched legs.

            Suddenly self-conscious, Don abruptly moved into one of the new sections of duct work.

            “I think we’re going to have to go up again,” Don said. “I’ve been trying to keep track of the distance we’ve travelled in relation to the size of the TCRI building.”

            “If we’re actually _under_ the TCRI building,” Casey said dryly. “We could be anywhere. Damn, I hope there aren’t any rats in here,” he added as an afterthought.

            Don stopped so quickly that Casey’s nose collided with his heel. “Let me try my T-Phone,” Don said. “If I can reach Leo then he can track my signal from the Shellraiser. That way we’ll know exactly where we are.”

            At first Don got nothing but static, but after he crawled forward a little more he had a signal.  He tapped the symbol that represented Leo’s phone and waited.

            _“Donnie?  Donnie, are you all right?  Where are you?”_ Leo asked frantically.

            “Casey and I are hoping you can tell us that,” Don answered.  “The Kraang locked us into a couple of cells but we broke out and now we’re lost inside what looks like another of their detention centers.  Can you locate my signal and tell me if we’re still in the TCRI building?”

            _“We’re in the Shellraiser right now trying to track you, hang on,”_ Leo said.

            Don could hear the murmur of voices in the background and recognized both Raph’s and Mikey’s.  He was surprised to hear April’s as well.

            _“Your signal is faint but we’ve got it,”_ Leo said.  _“To be completely accurate, it shows that you’re under the building, not in it.  Do the Kraang know you’ve escaped?”_

            Don looked over his shoulder at Casey who grinned at Leo’s question.  “Yeah, they know.  We’ve managed to dodge them by crawling into an air duct and now we’re trying to find where the air is being pumped in from.  By following the air flow I think we can make it outside.”

            He felt Casey begin to move forward and rolled onto his side to give the boy room, thinking that Casey wanted to hear the conversation better.

            _“We can come in and get you,”_ Leo said.

            “No!” Don exclaimed.  Casey touched a finger to Don’s lips to remind him to be quiet and Don shook his head to dislodge the digit.  “No,” he repeated quietly.  “We’ll be fine on our own, but if you guys try to infiltrate you’ll be taking an unnecessary risk.  I’ll set my tracking beacon and you keep monitoring the signal.  I’ll check in with you in thirty minute intervals or if we run into trouble.”

            _“If you fail to call we’ll come after you,”_ Leo warned.

            “I know,” Don told him and then asked, “Why is April with you?  She’s not safe topside and her dad said he didn’t want her to go on this mission.”

            _“I was listening in when Raph and Mikey were relaying messages to Leo,”_ April said, answering the question herself.  _“There was no way I was going to stay put when I heard you and Casey had been captured.  Are you sure you’re okay?”_

            Don flushed with pleasure at her caring tone but before he could say anything, Casey answered for the both of them.  “We’re fine Red.  Ya’ should go home and bake us some cookies for when we get out of here.”

            _“Bake some . . . .”_ April spluttered indignantly.  _“Maybe you should have stayed behind to bake cookies you . . . .”_

            Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Leo.  _“You two get out of there as fast as you can.  We’ll be here monitoring you.”_

            The voice connection went and Don took a second to set the tracking beacon before closing the T-Phone and tucking it into his belt.  Casey was squeezed into the conduit right up against Don and was staring into his face.

            “You didn’t have to make her mad,” Don said.

            Casey shrugged.  “She’s only mad at me if that’s what’s bothering ya’.  When ya’ told me ya’ liked April, I guess I didn’t realize how much.  Does she know?”

            Seeing no point in keeping it to himself anymore, Don said, “Yes.  I haven’t exactly been . . . _subtle_.”

            “Ya’ haven’t had any problem being subtle with me,” Casey said, his eyes seeming to search Don’s as he shifted closer to the turtle.  “Even when I was upset with ya’ for how ya’ talked about my Ma, I couldn’t stop thinking about ya’.  Donny, come on; give me some idea of what’s going on in your head.  All I want is a chance.”

            He lifted a hand to Don’s cheek and pressed his body against the turtle’s.  With both of them occupying the same space inside the air duct it was already a tight fit and Don could feel Casey’s hard muscle rubbing against his own.

            Don struggled to find words of rejection to offer Casey; something that wouldn’t hurt the boy but would be understood.  Trying to focus on his feelings for April, Don found the task difficult with the heat from Casey’s form seeping into him.

            As Casey’s mouth slowly lowered towards his, Don’s breath left him and April’s image disappeared from his mind in a puff of smoke.


	61. 61. Fairy Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,113  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            It was almost exactly like his dream.  Taken unawares, unable to move with Casey pressed against him; Don lay on his side frozen like a deer in headlights as Casey’s lips touched his.  The kiss was tentative at first, as though Casey expected to be rebuffed, and then he applied more pressure.

            Casey’s eyes were open as he stared into Don’s, but after the couple of seconds of meeting the boy’s intense gaze it felt too awkward and Don closed his eyes.  Don’s focus was immediately drawn to Casey’s mouth and the boy’s warm lips moving against his.

            Don didn’t really know what to do so he didn’t budge; he was just too stunned by Casey’s bold action.  Thoughts and impressions filtered through his mind in a jumble, but one thing he did register was feeling as though Casey’s kiss was pleasant and quite possibly not entirely unwanted.

            Then Donatello felt something wet touch his lip and realized it was Casey’s tongue, requesting entry.  Don’s mind went back to his dream and the memory of their tongues twining together.  As he hesitated, Casey’s tongue grew more insistent and the sound of Casey’s heavy breathing seemed to fill the air duct.

            The realization of where they were hit Don hard, as did the fact that a certain beautiful red-head was both worried and waiting for him.

            Placing his hands on Casey’s shoulders, Don shoved him back, breaking the kiss.  He watched Casey’s eye open and immediately saw that the boy was inclined to go farther.

            Almost as if to verify that thought Casey said in a low voice, “It’s better if ya’ open your mouth too.  Then I can teach ya’ how to French kiss.”

            “No,” Don squeaked and then cleared his throat to try again.  “No.  Seriously Casey, have you even stopped to think about where we are?”

            Casey touched Don’s arm, a whimsical smile on his face as he stroked the turtle’s skin.  “I guess danger gets my motor running.”

            “It doesn’t do the same for me,” Don retorted, trying to sound haughty.

            “Really?  ‘Cause for a minute there you were getting into it,” Casey said.

            “I was not,” Don adamantly denied.  “You took me by surprise.”

            “Ya’ should have punched me then,” Casey said, looking altogether too smug.  “That’s what ya’ do when someone does something ya’ don’t like.”

            “We’re in an air duct inside the TCRI building, being hunted by the Kraang,” Don said, enunciating clearly as though speaking to a child.  “Fighting with you in here would be just as bad as . . . as . . . .”

            “Making out with me?” Casey asked, finishing Don’s sentence.

            “I’m not making out with you!” Don exclaimed and then his mouth snapped shut.  Counting to ten while Casey stared at him with the same cocky expression on his face, Don asked quietly, “Why do you feel the need to push things this way?”

            “Maybe I think that if I don’t push ya’ ain’t ever gonna give me an answer,” Casey said, looking earnest for once.

            Don felt both ridiculous and anxious.  This was certainly not the appropriate time to be having a heart to heart talk about his love life; they were supposed to be trying to escape.  It didn’t help his dignity any to be trapped inside a dusty, dark air duct discussing this either.

            Of course nothing about his life had ever been fairy tale perfect, Don thought with grim amusement.

            “Do you remember how you told me that you and Raph are just friends?” Don asked.

            “Yeah?”  Casey was obviously puzzled by Don’s question and his brow furrowed.

            “Did you ever think that Raph might have feelings for you and that he’s hiding them?”  Don looked hard at Casey, trying to get through to the boy.  “I’m not going to step on my brother like that.  Besides, you’ve acknowledged that you understand how I feel about April.”

            “Donnie, ya’ are way off base about Raph,” Casey said, looking unconcerned.  “If ya’ think ya’ sense that he’s got a thing for someone then you’re right, but it ain’t me.  Raph and me talk about stuff and since he really ain’t got anyone else he can tell things to, he doesn’t hold anything back.”

            “You haven’t told him how you feel about me,” Don stated as a fact.

            Casey’s eye drifted down to his hand which was still on Don’s arm and then back up again.  “Nope, ya’ got me there.  He needs my help with something and my feelings for you are kinda messing things up.  I wish I could tell ya’ what’s going on with him but I can’t.  That’s Raph’s business.  It just ain’t got anything to do with him crushing on me.  Forget that.”

            “There’s still April,” Don said.  

            “April,” Casey said thoughtfully.  “She told me she likes ya’.  Did she ever admit that to your face?”

            If Casey had just been a friend, Don would have crowed to the moon that April said she might care for him, but the boy obviously wasn’t willing to be stuck in the friend zone.  Still, Don was growing tired of hiding things.

            “Yes,” Don said.  “After all this time she finally did say there’s a chance she might care about me that way.”

            “‘Might’?”  Casey pounced on the word immediately.

            “She’s smart enough to know that you can’t properly analyze your feelings when your personal situation is so volatile,” Don said indignantly.

            “Ya’ either feel something or ya’ don’t, Donnie,” Casey said quietly.  “Whatever crazy stuff is going on around ya’ won’t alter your attraction to someone.  Heck, sometimes it’s better to add a little danger to the mix; it lets ya’ know if a person has character.”

            “I would expect that sort of thinking from a guy,” Don said, growing angry, “but don’t presume to tell me what April is feeling.  She’s perfectly capable of speaking up for herself.”

            Putting his topmost foot flat on the bottom of the duct, Don propelled himself forward and then flipped onto his plastron to start crawling towards what he hoped would get them out of Kraang headquarters.

            “Touchy,” Casey muttered from behind him.  “Come on Don, stop for a minute and let me talk to ya’.  I wasn’t trying to make ya’ mad.”

            Don continued onward, reaching into his belt for his T-Phone.  “I have to call Leo and check in,” he said frostily.  “If you want to talk you’ll have to wait until we aren’t in here anymore.”

            There was a finality in his words that he hoped Casey would respect.  Given how persistent the boy was, Don highly doubted it.


	62. 62. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,358  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don was so peeved that when Leo answered his phone, Don snapped at him.

            Of course Leo wanted to know if he was all right and if he needed rescuing.  That question aggravated Don even more, but he reined his temper in because he didn’t want his brothers or April to risk their lives coming after him.

            Before he hung up, Don asked if Leo could see where he and Casey were in relation to the TCRI building.  Leo said he could tell they were under it but now how far and that they were about in the middle of the structure.

            That didn’t make Don feel any better.  He continued moving towards the source of the fresh air after he concluded his conversation with Leo, but only half his mind was on his task.  Casey hadn’t said anything to him after hearing his end of the talk with Leo; showing a prudence that Don wasn’t aware the boy had in him.

            Don was angry and Casey knew it.  He just wasn’t sure if Casey knew _why_ he was so angry.

            April meant the world to Don and he resented Casey’s subtle assertion that maybe April hadn’t told him the truth when she said she liked him as more than a friend.  He was sure Casey had an ulterior motive for trying to make Don think that he didn’t have a chance with April.  It was mean, hurtful, and self-serving.

            His resentment carried over to Leo and that was the reason Don had been snappish with his brother when he’d called him to check in.  If Casey was telling the truth, then Raph didn’t have designs on the boy at all.  That left Don with the uncomfortable memory of what he’d witnessed between Raph and Leo in his lab.

            Don’s mind wanted to shy away from the thought but he was mad enough to tenaciously stick with it.  Apparently Raph had a thing for Leo and it was reciprocated.  With a complete understanding of their personalities, Don could guess that though they both knew it was wrong, Raph didn’t give a flip.

            Leo on the other hand did and that’s where their problem lay.  It really made sense now that Don had enough pieces to put together a working hypothesis.

            Casey was supposed to help Raph with something and Casey’s feelings for Don were making a mess of things.  Leo had asked Don to spend time with Casey to keep Raph and the boy from going topside and getting hurt.  Puzzle pieces one and two.

            Raph was perpetually mad at Don for trying to ‘steal’ his friend.  Since it wasn’t jealousy, the only other explanation was that Don was somehow getting in Raph’s way.  Puzzle piece three.

            Leo’s thoughts seemed to center around Raphael a lot more lately.  Don had believed that was due to worry over Raph’s new friendship and now it looked like he was right, just not in the way Don had originally imagined it.  Puzzle piece four.

            The first conversation that Don had overheard between Leo and Raph had sounded like just another of their arguments.  Now that he thought about it, Leo had changed gears from anger to worry when he’d asked if Raph was trying to break away from him.  Puzzle piece five.

            During that strange interlude in Don’s lab, Leo had joked about hiding in the sewers and Raph had answered in a serious tone that maybe they should.  When Leo had told him he’d hate it, Raph touched him in an intimate way and asked for some incentive.  It was after that when Leo had told Raph he wasn’t going to change and that he was doing what Master Splinter told him to do.  Puzzle piece six.

            Don prided himself for his genius but now he snorted in self-derision.  Mikey knew what was going on; he had seen all of the signs way before Don had and Mikey had actually interpreted them correctly the first time.

            As he slid through the conduit with Casey closely following him, Don mentally tossed his puzzle pieces into the air and watched them land.  One by one they clicked into place and gave him his first clear picture of what was going on between his two oldest brothers.

            Raph and Leo were in love and not in a brotherly way.  They both understood the impossibility of their situation but that didn’t stop them from wanting each other.  Raph wasn’t one to accept his lot in life; he had an inkling that Leo felt about him the same way that Raph felt  but he knew that ‘Mr. Honor Bound’ wouldn’t act on his feelings.

            Leo’s feelings were as strong as Raph’s, but due to Master Splinter’s omnipresence the turtle leader felt he had to quash them.

            Then Casey appeared in their lives and Raph and he became good friends.  With that friendship an idea was born and Raph was quick to put it into action.  The straight forward approach wouldn’t work with Leo because he would simply state that he and Raph couldn’t be together because of their father.  Once Leo committed to the word ‘never’ he would stick to it and Raph wouldn’t be able to shake him loose.

            If however Raph appeared to be interested in someone else and that interest seemed to be reciprocated, then Leo would be forced to come down from his righteous stance.  Jealousy was an overwhelming emotion, one that even Leo would be hard pressed to ignore.

            And it seemed to be working.  Leo’s attempts to manipulate Don into spending time with Casey and thus pulling him away from Raph was a good indication of that.  Leo had seen right away that Casey was showing an attraction to Don and like any good strategist he was positioning his pawns in a way that would put him in the advantageous position of being Raph’s shoulder to cry on.

            Raph however didn’t want a brother that would commiserate with him over love lost; Raph wanted a brother who would be so driven by jealousy that he’d finally admit he wanted Raph.  Once Raph forced Leo to say it then the eldest brother would work just as hard to arrange things so that they could be together as Raph had been working on it.

            Casey falling for Don was not in Raph’s plan.  Raph needed Casey to appear smitten with the red banded turtle until Leo blew a cork.  Leo was never going to fly into a fit of jealousy if he could remove the person who was vying with him for Raph’s affections.

            All of which explained exactly why Raph was angry with Don and why he couldn’t explain to Don the reason for his anger.  It also explained why Raph only seemed slightly peeved with Casey when it was the boy initiating the interactions with Don.  Raph couldn’t afford to have Leo see him and Casey having an argument.  Don guessed that they probably had a few sharp words when they were alone, but when they were near anyone else they had to play the game.

            Apparently Casey had no problem with the concept of the two brothers being together and it looked as if Mikey was accepting of the idea as well.  That left Don on the outside looking in and he was, to say the least, freaked out about the whole thing.

            Don was snapped out of his thoughts by another cross section of tunnel up ahead of them.  Stopping where the air ducts split into a T, he saw that there was another grate leading upwards.

            Rolling onto his hip, Don placed his hand against it and felt the air coming through.  Casey crawled up next to him and asked, “Are we going up again?”

            “Unless you know a magic way out of here, we’re going up,” Don answered sharply.

            Casey didn’t reply, merely watching as Don dug out his screwdriver and began to remove the grate.  Don pressed his lips together as he worked and thought to himself, _“There’s no magic way out of this dilemma with my brothers either.”_


	63. 63. Do Not Disturb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,018  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The grate opened with a creak and Don saw right away that it was a little brighter inside the section of duct work on the floor above them.  Putting his screw driver away he scooted closer to the opening but Casey stopped him with a hand on Don’s arm.

            “How about I go first this time?” Casey asked.  “Seems only fair that we split the danger.”

            “I don’t need you to be a hero for me,” Don said.  “I’m a ninja, remember?”

            Casey took his hand off Don’s arm and grinned at him sheepishly.  “I know ya’ got skills, Don.  I wasn’t trying to say ya’ don’t just like earlier I wasn’t trying to say that April doesn’t like ya’.  Truth is she told me she does.  All I was trying to let ya’ know is that despite all this craziness I know I’ve got a thing for ya’ and that it’s real.”

            “That’s not how it sounded,” Don said peevishly.

            “So I’m not as good with words as you are,” Casey admitted.  “Maybe I got a little jealous ‘cause I’m desperate to think ya’ could swing both ways like I do, but ya’ ain’t giving me any hints.”

            “For crying out loud,” Don said, “how can you be worried about that at a time like this?  That’s what I was trying to explain to you when I told you what April said.  All I can think about is getting out of here before the Kraang figure out where we are.  Before that I was trying to find a way to stop them from controlling the minds of every human in New York and saving your mom in the process.  Alongside of that we’ve got Shredder and the Kraang to deal with and I’m still trying to develop a retro-mutagen that will work on everybody.  How do you expect me to have time to think about my sexual orientation?”

            “Ya’ know you’re attracted to April even with all that,” Casey pointed out.

            “I met her before any of the rest of this stuff started to happen,” Don said.  “It’s different.”

            “Well I’m attracted to her too,” Casey told him.  “It ain’t as strong as what I feel for you though.  I know ya’ think I’m too aggressive, but that’s the only way I know how to do things.”

            Slightly mollified because Casey had admitted that April had told him she liked Don, the turtle merely huffed and said, “It would be better if you spent that energy on helping us escape from here.”

            “Okay I will,” Casey said, his cocky smile returning.  “Damn, you’re kinda cute when you’re mad.”

            “Casey Jones, you are about to get on my last ner . . . .”  Don’s sentence was cut off by a loud clanging sound somewhere nearby.

            “What was that?” Casey asked in a low voice as the echo from the noise started to fade.

            “That was probably the Kraang figuring out where we’ve gone,” Don said sarcastically, a hint of an ‘I told you so’ in his words.

            Casey grabbed onto Don’s waist and half lifted the turtle into the horizontal conduit.  “Get your butt up there.”

            “Hey, I thought you wanted to go first!”  Don exclaimed, surprised at how much strength Casey could muster when he was agitated.

            “That was when I thought the danger might be above us,” Casey said, pushing Don’s feet to help the turtle climb faster.

            Scrambling up the chute, Don quickly clambered into the vertical duct that gave off of it.  Turning so he could look down at Casey who was working his way up, Don whispered, “Hurry.”

            “Should I close the grate behind us?” Casey asked, pausing in his climb.

            The clanging sounds were growing closer. “Sure, maybe we should take the time to hang a do not disturb sign on it too,” Don answered fretfully. “The Kraang already know where we are Casey, and there isn’t room in here to fight them if they catch up to us.”

            Casey hoisted himself into the duct as Don backed up to give him room.  “Do not disturb,” he said with a laugh.  “See Don, your sarcasm _is_ funny.”

            Don ignored the gibe, pointing behind him to say, “I’ve already checked the air current, we need to move in this direction.”

            He started to contort his body into a ball in order to turn around but Casey slid up until his face was next to Don’s.  “This time I lead the way,” the boy said and proceeded on before Don could protest.

            With a grimace, Don got his body turned and followed Casey, his keen hearing monitoring the sounds of the Kraang’s approach. Now Casey was all business and he was moving fast.  As they crawled towards an increasingly noticeable breeze, the area ahead of them became brighter as well.  After a while the whir of machinery competed with the noise of their pursuers and the pair found themselves crawling closer to the newest sound.

            The breeze had turned into a fairly strong wind, blowing Casey’s hair back from his face and sending Don's mask tales fluttering. Following a bend in the duct, Casey suddenly stopped, forcing Don to do so as well.

            Don couldn’t see past the turn so he called out over the sound of the wind, “Casey, what’s going on?”

            Casey’s feet shifted to indicate he’d flipped onto his back and a second later he was leaning around the bend, hair flying.

            “We got a problem,” Casey said. “It’s a dead end.”

            “What?” Don said incredulously. Crawling forward, he squeezed his shoulders past Casey’s upper torso and immediately saw what had brought the boy to a halt.

            The air duct ran another ten feet and then opened up into a space four times the size of the duct itself. Inside that space was a gigantic fan, its blades spinning faster than the eye could follow as it pulled air into the building from the outside.

            “Great,” Don murmured, wondering what he had ever done to deserve the kind of luck he was having.


	64. 64. Multitasking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,552  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            “We gotta backtrack, Donnie,” Casey said, leaning in close so the turtle could hear him over the sound of the fan.

            “And go where?” Don asked.  Somewhere behind them came the clang of robotic parts against the metal of the air duct they were in.  “We’re out of options.”

            “Maybe we can bust through this wall,” Casey said, pressing his hand against the side of the duct experimentally.

            “How?  You aren’t going to set off one of your explosives in such a tight space or you’ll kill both of us.  This air duct is probably surrounded by a solid wall is most places,” Don said.

            “There’s gotta be someplace where it isn’t,” Casey said.  “Ya’ can use your blade to cut into the metal and then we can punch an opening wide enough to fit through.”

            “Unless you’ve suddenly been blessed with x-ray vision, I don’t know how we’re going to figure out what section to pick,” Don said.  “We don’t have time to start tapping the walls and listening for a tell-tale hollow sound.”

            “I could light one of my exploding pucks and shoot it down the duct towards the Kraang,” Casey suggested.  “If I hit it hard enough the blow-back won’t get us.”

            “That’s too many ifs,” Don told him.  “There’s no guarantee that the explosion won’t adversely affect the section of duct we’re sitting in.  Give me a second.”

            Casey had been about to say something else but instead closed his mouth at Don’s request.  He watched the genius closely as Don looked around the space they were in and then narrowed his eyes speculatively as he studied the fan.

            “What?” Casey asked as Don started to crawl past him.

            Raising his voice so that Casey could him, Don said, “There’s a control panel on the other side of the frame that the fan is set into.  I’ll bet I can shut off the fan and we can break off a couple of blades with a controlled explosion.  That would create a large enough opening for both of us to squeeze through.”

            Casey scooted through the duct quickly to catch up to Don.  “Ya’ can’t do that while the blades are spinning, Donnie.”

            “I know,” Don said, twisting around so his feet dangled over the lip of the air duct.

            There was about two feet of space between where the air duct widened out and the fan’s frame.  It would be tight work but they’d have a little elbow room.

            “We have to stop the blades first,” Don said.  “If we shove something solid between them we can jam them long enough for me to get the panel open and turn the fan off.”

            Casey’s eyes went immediately to Don’s bo staff.  “I know what you’re thinking, but your staff ain’t thick enough.  Those blades will snap it in two.”

            “That’s why we’re going to have to use my staff and a couple of your weapons,” Don said, looking over at Casey.  “My bo alongside your hockey stick and bat should give us enough aggregate strength to stop those blades.  We’ll have to time it perfectly and shove them in at the exact same moment though.”

            “Let’s do it then,” Casey said, hopping down into the wider space.  As Don dropped to the floor next to him, Casey asked, “It’s gonna bust our weapons ain’t it?”

            “I suspect so,” Don said.  “Either this works and we get out, or we’re going to have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Kraang.”

            “If I was running this play on the ice, I wouldn’t choose that option,” Casey said as he pulled his stick and bat from their sheaths.

            “One more thing,” Don said, his mouth close to Casey’s ear as they stood side by side, weapons in hand.  “The Kraang probably haven’t realized we were heading towards the source of the air flow, so they’re just randomly searching the duct work.  As soon as the air stops they’ll know exactly where we are.”

            “Jeez, you’re just all kinds of sunshine, Donnie,” Casey said with a grin, pressing his weapons together and touching them to Don’s bo.

            Bracing himself against Casey, Don said, “On three.  One, two, _three_!”

            With well-oiled precision, the pair simultaneously jammed their weapons into the fan.  Don’s timing of the blades had been perfect and the combined weapons slid directly into a gap between them.  The momentum of the turning blades vibrated through Don’s bo and would have yanked it out of his hands if he hadn’t been prepared for it.

            Don heard Casey grunt as he too felt the impact but the boy held on.  For a split-second it was a fight between their strength and that of the fan, but then it jammed.

            “Crap, I didn’t think it was gonna work for a second there,” Casey said through clenched teeth.

            “Me either,” Don said.  He could feel the fan trying to turn and held his bo taut.  “I can reach the control panel now, but I can’t release my bo because you can’t hold this by yourself.  I’ll have to tuck the staff against my side and hold it with one hand so I can have the other free.”

            “Go ahead and move,” Casey said, shifting his feet to strengthen his stance.

            Don carefully adjusted his position, sliding the end of his staff beneath one arm and settling it against his side.  Wrapping his right arm and hand around the bo, he slowly let go with his left and twisted his upper body until he could reach the control panel.

            There was a clear acrylic covering over the controls and Don dug out his screwdriver in order to pry it loose.  He was acutely aware of Casey’s hip pressing against his own as he jimmied the cover off of the control panel.

            For a moment Don examined the symbols on the screen, associating each one with those he’d already translated.  As always when concentrating, Don’s tongue hung out of one corner of his mouth, a completely unconscious habit of his.

            A sound from Casey broke his train of thought and Don glanced back to make sure Casey wasn’t having a problem.  Instead he saw the boy gazing fixedly at his mouth.

            Flustered by the look in Casey’s eyes, Don demanded, “What are you staring at?”

            Unperturbed at having been busted in the act, Casey said, “Your tongue.  I like when you’re multi-tasking ‘cause ya’ always stick it out of your mouth and I think that’s kinda hot.”

            Blushing, Don turned back to the panel.  “Why do you always choose the most inopportune moments to say things like that?”

            “Lately there ain’t been a lot of opportune moments,” Casey answered, even though Don’s question was mostly rhetorical.  “I’ll make do with any chances I get.”

            Don shook his head, partly from incredulity and partly to clear it so he could concentrate again.  The momentary break seemed to have helped though, as soon as he looked at the symbols again, he recognized the shut-down sequence.

            Swiftly tapping the panel, Don executed the command that would stop the fan and was elated to hear the motor wind down until it fell silent.  Slowly easing off of his bo, Don was happy to find that the fan was completely off.

            “Ya’ did it!” Casey exclaimed, pulling what was left of his stick and bat from between the fan blades.

            Don ruefully looked at the mangled end of his bo staff.  “Another one bites the dust.”

            The sound of something slamming against the sides of the air duct echoed into the small chamber the pair was standing in and reminded them that the Kraang were on their trail.

            Casey offered two of his explosive hockey pucks to Don and said, “Ya’ said something about a controlled explosion?”

            “We’ll need some of the powder from inside these sticks,” Don said, prying them loose from the pucks. 

            Using his screwdriver, Don drilled a hole into the bottom of the tiny dynamite sticks and then stepped over to the fan.  Very carefully, he ran a fine line of explosive powder along the edge of two of the blades, concentrating as much of it as he could at the spot where the blade flattened out.

            That done, he ripped one of the wicks loose from a stick and gently draped it across the powder on the upper fan blade.  Looking back at Casey, Don held his hand out and said, “All I need is a light and then we dive for cover.”

            Casey held up his lighter and said, “I’ll light it.  Ya’ did everything else, it’s my turn to contribute.”

            “I can move faster than you,” Don argued.

            With a snort, Casey said, “In your dreams.  Which I know I’ve been in.  We gotta talk about that after we get out of here.”

            Rather than argue the point, Don stepped out of the way and let Casey by him.  As soon as the fuse started to glow red, Don yelled, “Run!”

            He and Casey dove towards a corner of the space, getting as far from the blades as they could.  They barely had time to duck before the fire touched the powder.

            Don felt Casey drape himself over the turtle as the room seemed to explode around them.


	65. 65. Horror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,420  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Coughing out the smoke that tried to climb into his lungs, Don said, “Darn it, Casey!  Where did you get those explosives?”

            It took Casey a second to respond as he too was coughing.  With a laugh he said, “I do odd jobs for a construction company and helped myself to a couple of things from their demolition stash.”

            Casey was still blanketing Don with his body, so the turtle pushed against him in order to straighten up.  The smoke was clearing quickly; drifting out through the opening in the wall.

            “It worked!” Don exclaimed, seeing the fan blades lying on the ground.

            As soon as Casey turned around to look, Don spotted the smoke coming from the back of his hoodie.  Reaching out quickly, Don patted at the glowing embers that were threatening to ignite Casey’s clothes.

            It was then Don noticed with horror the smoke curling out of one of Casey’s spray paint cans.  Yanking it off the boy’s belt, Don tossed it as far as he could into the air duct.  It exploded less than a second later.

            “What were you thinking?” Don asked angrily.  “If one of us had to be on top it should have been me.  I’m the one with the shell.”

            “Is that what would make ya’ feel more comfortable, Donnie?  Me letting ya’ be on top?” Casey asked, raising his eyebrows as he backed Don against the wall.

            Blinking rapidly, Don felt his face heat up as Casey’s hands flattened against the wall on either side of his head.  For a minute he didn’t understand what Casey was alluding to and then the innuendo in the double entendre hit him.

            “St . . . stop saying things like that,” Don stuttered in protest, pressing his hand against Casey’s chest to shove him away.  He was surprised at how strong the lanky teen actually was when Casey didn’t budge.

            “Damn I wish we had more time,” Casey said in a husky tone, staring into Don’s eyes.  “From the sound of things, we’d better get a move on.”

            The Kraang’s noisy approach snapped Don from his state of inertia and he ducked under Casey’s arm to make a beeline for the opening between the fan blades.  It was just wide enough for him to slide through, his carapace scraping lightly against the uppermost blade.

            Don stopped suddenly when he reached the edge of the opening and he clutched at the fan frame to steady himself.  He expected that the fan would be above ground, more than likely at the back of the building where it wouldn’t be visible from the street.  Instead he discovered that they were several floors up.

            Casey stepped up next to him and looked down at the street below.  “We only climbed up through two air shafts,” he said in a low voice.  “How’d we get up here?”

            Before Don could say anything his T-phone buzzed and with an alarmed look, Don snatched the phone from his belt.

            “Sorry, Leo, sorry,” Don said quickly, cutting in before his brother could speak.  “I forgot to check in but Casey and I found a way out of the building.”

            _“Where are you, we’ll come pick you up,”_ Leo said.

            “Well, uh, we found the way out but we aren’t actually _out_ ,” Don explained.  “We reached an opening in the side of the building but we’re six stories up on the west side of TCRI.”

            _“We can drive around that way and shoot grappling hooks up to you,”_ Leo said.  _“The two of you can climb down to us.”_

            Another loud clang echoed through the chamber they were in and Don said hastily, “We don’t have time to wait for you, the Kraang are literally right behind us.  Can you . . . can you create a diversion?  Maybe something that will draw their attention and get some of them off of us?”

            He could hear the rumble of Raph’s voice in the background as the two older turtles conferred.  Don wished they would be quick about it.  When the sound of the youngest saying something reached his ears, Don started to dread having asked for a diversion.

            _“Mikey has an idea we think will work,”_ Leo said.  _“How are you going to get down?”_

            Don looked back into the fan chamber and then down at the street below them.  “I’ve got a plan for that, I just don’t want to worry about Kraang ships flying up here and grabbing us again.”

            _“We’ll take care of that,”_ Leo said grimly.  _“Call when you’re on the ground.”_

            Casey was watching Don like a hawk as the turtle put away his T-phone.  “Ya’ wanna share this brilliant plan of yours, Donnie?  I sure hope it don’t include falling,” Casey said.

            “It won’t unless you don’t do exactly what I say,” Don told him.  “We have to slow those Kraang bots down first otherwise we won’t get very far.  Leo can draw the attention of the rest of them, but the ones coming through that air duct are focused on us.  Do you have any more exploding hockey pucks?”

            “Nope, I gave ya’ the last two to use on the fan blades,” Casey answered.

            Don looked over the paraphernalia that Casey had strapped to his body and his eyes lit on the remaining two spray paint canisters.  “These will do,” he said, removing them from Casey’s makeshift belt sheaths.

            Using a couple of strips of electrical tape that Casey had stuck to his clothes, Don taped the two canisters together.  Sliding through the opening in the fan blades, he once more stepped into the fan chamber, with Casey trailing behind him.

            “While we were crawling through the air ducts it felt like they were sloping upward,” Don said as he tested the strength of the tape.  “There were so many twists and turns that it was hard to tell how much of a slope there was, so that’s probably what accounts for our being so high up.”

            There was a loud bang from inside the air duct and both teens looked up with alarm.  “Why ain’t they on top of us?” Casey asked.

            “The last exploding spray paint probably messed up the air duct,” Don said.  “It sounds like they just cleared a path.”

            Don produced a length of twine from his belt and snapped off a section, which he then tucked into the tape between the cans.

            “So ya’ think if one can slowed them down, two cans will give them a bigger problem?” Casey asked.

            “If we can get it far enough in there so that the explosion mangles the pathway into this chamber,” Don said.  “Think you can hit this into the duct with your other hockey stick?  It’s heavier than a puck.”

            Casey took the cans from Don’s hand and hefted them, gauging the weight before giving them back to the turtle.  “No sweat.”

            “I’m going to light them so we get a bigger bang,” Don said.  Holding his hand out for the lighter, he added, “This time I do the honors because you need both hands to make your swing.  As soon as it goes into the air duct, dive for the opening.  Remember, you go first and my shell and I will cover you in case there’s any shrapnel.”

            Hockey stick in hand, Casey faced towards the air duct and with a deep breath took a practice swing.  He was about to take another when the pink glow of a pair of Kraang bot eyes made a sudden appearance from inside the air duct.

            “Oh crap, go!” Casey shouted.

            Don set the wick on fire and dropped the cans directly in front of Casey.  Just before they hit the ground, Casey’s hockey stick curved down and caught them, sending the cans spiraling towards the open duct.

            For a second Don thought Casey hadn’t put enough lift into his swing.  The cans bounced against the lip of the opening and it looked as if they weren’t going in.

            Don watched the entire thing over his shoulder as he shoved Casey through the opening in the fan.  As the cans ricocheted off the wall, their rotation carried them into the air duct.

            The explosion came just as Don ducked down to clamber through the opening.  He saw Casey reach for him and then something hit his carapace hard, propelling him forward.

            Just before he blacked out, Don’s one thought was that he was fed up with explosions.


	66. 66. Traps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,245  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            _“Donnie . . . Donnie . . . can you hear me?”_

            The voice seemed to come from far away and kept fading in and out.  Don had a feeling that he should answer, but his head was thrumming too hard for him to form words.  Once more he heard the voice and now it seemed closer, though he still wasn’t sure who it belonged to.  It didn’t sound like his brothers trying to wake him for practice and it was too deep to be April’s.

            With a start, Don remembered where he was and suddenly connected the concerned voice to Casey.  As soon as his mind cleared enough to put that together, Don tried to lift his head, but warm hands against his skull kept him from shifting too quickly.

            “Don’t move, Donnie,” Casey said, his voice quivering slightly.  “Ya’ got a nasty bruise on your head and ya’ need to tell me if ya’ got pain anywhere else.”

            Don realized that his head was cradled on Casey’s lap when he saw the boy’s long legs stretched out on the floor in front of his eyes.

            “What hit me?” Don asked with a groan.

            “It was one of those Kraang bot heads,” Casey answered.  “It shot out of the air duct like a cannon ball and got ya’ right on the shell.  When the paint cans went off they must have made one of their weapons explode, ‘cause I can see little pieces of it scattered everywhere.”

            “How long . . . how long was I out?” Don asked as he struggled to sit up.

            “Couple minutes,” Casey said.  “Whoa, maybe ya’ should take it easy, that thing could have injured your spine.”

            “Correction, it could have injured _your_ spine,” Don said as he rose shakily to his feet.  “My shell took the force of the blow.  At the moment I’m feeling more pain in my head from where it hit the ground.”

            Casey stood up and looked into Don’s eyes before lifting his hand.  “How many fingers am I holding up?”

            “Two,” Don said, pushing Casey’s hand away irritably.  “We’ve got to move or my brothers are going to storm this place and run into who knows what kind of traps.”

            “Move where?” Casey asked, walking alongside Don as the turtle went back to the opening in the building.  “It’s a straight drop.”

            Don began pulling on his Shuko spikes.  “I’m going to climb down using these,” he said, displaying the spiked hand grips, “and you’re going to hold onto my back.”

            “I’m going to do what?” Casey asked, staring at Don incredulously.

            “Just hang onto me,” Don repeated.  “Don’t worry, I can carry your weight easily.”

            “That’s not what worries me,” Casey said.  “Five minutes ago you were unconscious.  Maybe I should do the climbing.”

            Don glowered at him, growing impatient.  “You’ve never climbed with spikes and this is not a situation conducive to learning.  I’m not dizzy if that’s what’s bothering you.”

            Without waiting for further protests, Don sat on the edge, dangling his feet over the side of the opening.  Rolling onto his hip, he eased his body all of the way outside, using the spikes to anchor him in place as his toes gripped the outer wall.

            “Get a solid hold on me before you swing onto my shell,” Don instructed.

            Casey hesitated for a second and then dropped to his knees, grabbing onto Don’s bicep.  Conscious of the sixty foot drop, Casey clambered onto Don’s carapace and wrapped his arms around the turtle’s shoulders.

            As Don started down, Casey chuckled against his head.  “I always did prefer a guy who was willing to take risks.  At least if we fall I’ll have the satisfaction of getting to put my arms around ya’.”

            “I’d rather not fall, thank you very much,” Don said, ensuring that at least one spike was solidly wedged into the wall before lifting the other.  “Don’t lean out or to either side or we won’t stay balanced.”

            “Why don’t ya’ just say I should stay pressed up against ya’?” Casey asked.  “Afraid I might take that the wrong way?”

            “You tend to do that,” Don said, refusing to be baited.

            “And you kind of avoid the subject,” Casey retorted.  “Why don’t ya’ tell me the truth about that dream ya’ had?  The one ya’ wouldn’t explain to Master Splinter and then lied about to me?”

            “What makes you think I lied?” Don asked and immediately wished he hadn’t.

            “’Cause ya’ ain’t very good at it,” Casey said.  “Come on Donnie, ya’ either dreamed about April or me.  If ya’ really had a wet dream about April then ya’ wouldn’t have gotten all defensive when I called ya’ on it.”

            “Dreams are private and personal,” Don said adamantly.  “I don’t ask about yours.”

            “Ya’ could and I’d tell ya’ the truth,” Casey said.  “Ya’ want to hear about the dream I have the most?  We’re in this really fancy house, just the two of us, and every door we open leads to a bedroom.  Ya’ keep saying we gotta keep looking and we finally find one that has an enormous bed in it, all covered in some kinda shiny purple sheets.  Before I can blink you’re on the bed; rolling around without a stich of gear, not even your mask.  When I walk over, ya’ lie back and look up at me with them big brown eyes of yours, hold your hand out to me, and spread your . . . .”

            “I get the picture,” Don said, hastily interrupting Casey’s increasingly erotic narrative.  “You have a thing for me and apparently also have sex on the brain.”

            “Where’d ya’ get the idea that dream has anything to do with sex?” Casey asked.  “Maybe I was gonna say ya’ spread your fingers to show off your new gloves.  I think you’re the one who had the sex dream and I was in it.  I think ya’ like me that way.  I think ya’ . . . .”

            They were near the ground and before Casey could finish his sentence, Don grabbed the boy’s arm to loosen his grip and bucked hard, curving his body as he shook Casey off his back.

            Taken by surprise, Casey fell the last few feet and landed on his butt.  Don hopped off of the building and glared at the boy, daring him to say something.

            Much to Don’s chagrin, Casey started laughing.

            “What is so funny?” Don demanded.

            “I got ya’ that time, didn’t I?” Casey asked as he stood up.  “What’s so hard about just admitting ya’ like me too?  Nobody else has to know if ya’ want to keep it like that.”

            “It isn’t that simple,” Don said, crossing his arms.

            “Sure it is,” Casey told him, moving to stand directly in front of Don.  “Master Splinter’s always saying stuff about being true to yourself and looking deep inside your own mind.  Be honest with me Don and tell me what you’re thinking about.”

            A movement just over Casey’s left shoulder caught Don’s eye.  Startled, Don turned his attention to the alley across the street and saw it again.

            Unaware of the action behind him, Casey once more asked, “Come on Donnie.  What are ya’ thinking about?”

            “April!” Don shouted, darting around Casey and plunging into the street, not even considering that he might be running straight into another of the Kraang’s traps.


	67. 67. Playing the Melody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,598  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            “Hey!  Where are ya’ going?” Casey exclaimed, spinning around to give chase as Donatello ran into the middle of the street.

            Lunging forward, Casey clapped a hand down on Don’s shoulder and pulled the turtle to a stop.  Don turned quickly, shaking Casey’s hand loose, but the boy caught his forearm to keep him from leaving again.

            “We just escaped Donnie, do ya’ want to advertise where we are to the Kraang?” Casey asked.

            “It was April!” Don insisted, trying to yank his arm away.  “I saw April!”

            “Where?  I didn’t see anything,” Casey said, looking all around them.

            “Over there,” Don said, pointing towards an alley about twenty feet away.  “We’ve got to go after her.”

            “Whoa, hold on there,” Casey said, refusing to release Don.  “If it was April why did she run away from us?”

            “I don’t know,” Don said angrily, finally twisting loose.  “Maybe she’s being chased by something.  Let’s go help her!”

            “This don’t feel right,” Casey said, latching onto Don’s arm once more.  “Ya’ can’t just go barreling down there.”

            “You’re just jealous,” Don hissed.  “I thought you cared about April too.”

            “I do!” Casey yelled.  “I just wanna be carefu . . . April!”

            Both of them saw her then, at the mouth of the alley peering left and right.  She seemed not to see them standing in the street as she stepped farther out onto the sidewalk and stared up at the TCRI building.  A second later she turned and fled back into the alley.

            “What is she doing?” Casey asked, his gaze fixed on the spot where he’d just seen April.

            “We’ll ask her when we catch her,” Don said, pushing Casey’s hand off of his arm.

            They had barely started to move when the sound of screeching tires turned their heads towards the other end of the street.  The Shellraiser suddenly came barreling around the corner, one entire set of tires lifting off the pavement.  Weaving from side to side on an unsteady course, it careened off the sidewalk and bore down on them.

            Don shoved Casey as hard as he could and sent the boy flying out of its path.  Smoke rose up from the tires and the smell of burning brake pads filled the air as the Shellraiser continued to lurch forward.

            The front end of the Shellraiser turned abruptly and its back end snaked around to the side, whipping towards Don.  Bunching his leg muscles, Don sprang high into the air as the rear of the vehicle skidded onto the spot he’d just occupied.  After sliding for a few feet, one of the wheel rims cracked and the Shellraiser came to a jolting stop.

            Landing lightly on his feet, Don grabbed for his bo and then remembered he didn’t have it anymore.  Fists up, he waited to see who was inside the turtle’s vehicle.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Casey pick himself up off the sidewalk and slide his remaining hockey stick out of its sheath.

            The side door opened and April O’Neil stepped out.

            “April?” Don called out in complete surprise.

            “Donnie!” April yelled, jumping towards him.  “I’m so glad I reached you in time!”

            She flung her arms around his neck, giving him a quick hug before turning to do the same with Casey.

            “Damn Red, who taught ya’ how to drive?” Casey asked good-naturedly.

            April moved back a pace and said, “We have to get out of here.  The Kraang are everywhere trying to find you guys.”

            “Where are my brothers?” Don asked.  “How did you get in the Shellraiser when Casey and I just saw you in the alley?”

            “Please, can we hide somewhere?  I’ll tell you everything but I’m wasn’t kidding when I said the Kraang are out in force,” April said, reaching out to tug on Don’s arm.

            Don glanced at the Shellraiser.  “We’re not going anywhere in that.  Let’s find the nearest tunnel entrance.”

            April and Don started towards the alley but Casey jumped in front of the pair, stopping them in their tracks.  Without a word, he grabbed April’s arm and pinched the back of her hand.

            “Ow!” April yelled, snatching her hand away from him.  “What did you do that for?”

            “How do we know you’re the real April?” Casey asked suspiciously.  “How do we know this isn’t a Kraang trap?  We already saw you once tonight.”

            “Oh, you mean _that_ me?” April asked, pointing in the direction of the alley.

            Once more the two boys saw April at the mouth of the alley.  As before, she peered left and right without seeing them.

            “What the shell?” Don asked, stunned.

            “It’s a three dimensional hologram,” April said.  “It was Mikey’s idea.  He downloaded an app on the T-Phones and recorded me doing that.  He, Leo, and Raph took our phones and scattered them around the TCRI building to distract the Kraang so you guys could escape.”

            “Mikey thought of that?”  Don started to follow April towards the alley, his mind trying to wrap around the idea of his little brother coming up with something so ingenious.

            “He read something just like it in a comic book,” April explained. 

            The trio turned into the alley and Don saw a flash of light as the T-Phone that was lying behind a garbage bin spit out April’s image again.

            “Why were you driving the Shellraiser?” Don asked, leaning down to pry the manhole cover off of their sewer entryway.

            “The guys told me to stay put while they went out with the phones,” April said.  “I was watching the monitors and saw the two of you coming down the side of the building.  I couldn’t call anyone because they’d all left their T-Phones behind and I was afraid the Kraang would grab you as soon as you got down.  I’m sorry I wrecked the Shellraiser, but I’ve only watched Leo drive it a couple of times so I was kind of guessing about what to do.”

            “I can fix the Shellraiser, I’m just glad you weren’t hurt,” Don said, smiling at April.

            The sound of Kraang lasers firing at something nearby got their attention.

            “Your brothers are moving the T-Phones around so the Kraang don’t catch on to our trick,” April said.  “One of them must be trying to get back to this one.”

            “We have to find a way to let them know we’re safe so they get out of here,” Don said, stepping away from the manhole.

            Casey scooped up the T-Phone and said, “I’ll catch your bro’s attention, Donnie.  You two get down into the sewers and make your way back to the lair as fast as you can.”

            “If the Kraang see you they’ll chase you down,” April said quickly.  “They know you’re one of us now.  Please don’t go out there and do something foolish.”

            Despite their situation, Don swore he heard music as soon as April said _‘one of us’_.  He could feel the goofy grin starting to spread across his mouth as he realized that April thought of herself as part of his family.

            Casey noticed the look on Don’s face and snorted.  “It’s nice to know ya’ worry about me, Red.  You’re all right, I don’t care what Don’s been saying about ya’.”

            That cut through Don’s fog.  Startled, Don looked at April, a denial ready on his lips.  April waved it off and said, “Ignore him.  He thinks he’s being funny.”

            Chuckling, Casey tossed the phone up and down in his hand and directed his words to Don.  “Look, even if the Kraang see me, I’m not their primary target.  They ain’t gonna spend time chasing me if they know you two are somewhere around here.  All I gotta do is stay away from them until I run across your brothers and let ‘em know you two are safe.  I’ve got a T-Phone now, so we can keep in touch.”

            “Casey, I don’t know . . . .” Don started to say, not liking the idea of splitting up.

            “The kid ain’t safe up here, Donnie,” Casey told him.  “Ya’ know ya’ got a duty to protect her above anything else.”

            “Who are you calling a kid?” April demanded, the fire flashing in her blue eyes.

            “Casey’s right,” Don said and then as April turned her indignation his direction quickly added, “Not the kid part, the part where the Kraang are mainly looking for us.  The sooner we’re out of here, the sooner my brothers and Casey can get out of the danger zone.”

            April looked at Don and then at Casey.  “I’ll go with Don so we can protect _each_ other,” she said.  “Don’t do anything crazy.”

            “Who me?” Casey asked rhetorically as he backed away from them, a big grin on his face.  A second later he turned to check the street and then took off at a fast run.

            Don stood looking after him, already regretting that he hadn’t stopped the boy from leaving.  Then he felt April wind her fingers through his and glanced down at her.

            “Try not to worry,” April said, offering him a soft smile.  “He’s nuts but he knows how to take care of himself just like everyone else does in our little family.”

            And there were April’s sweet words again, like a song in his head, playing the melody that reached straight into Don’s heart.  They strengthened his resolve to make sure that not only April got back to their home safely, the rest of the ‘family’ did as well.


	68. 68. Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,875  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            April followed Don closely as he picked his way through the maze of sewer tunnels.  They moved as fast as they dared, both aware that the Kraang could be in the sewer system searching for them.

            They had separated from Casey fifteen minutes earlier but hadn’t heard from him.  Don was certain the boy should have run across at least one of the other turtles by now so the T-Phone’s silence did not bode well.

            Apparently April’s mind was running along those same lines.  “Maybe we should call him,” she said.  “It’s been too long.”

            “I can’t risk the sound of the phone giving him away,” Don told her.  “He could be hiding somewhere waiting for the Kraang to pass.”

            April didn’t respond to that for a minute and then said, “Casey’s showing off.  He’s trying to be a hero.”

            Don glanced at her and saw that she was biting her bottom lip while staring straight ahead.

            “He’ll be okay,” Don said, trying to reassure her though he was far from believing it himself.  He knew that Casey took chances.

            “We should have tried harder to talk him out of leaving,” April said.  “He always argues with me but he listens to you.”

            Don shook his head.  “He argues with me too.  I think Raph’s the only one who really speaks Casey’s language.”

            “Is that why you two were standing in the middle of the street?  You were arguing?” April asked.

            “Kind of,” Don said, purposely keeping his answer vague.

            “About me?” April guessed, her eyes on Don as she tried to read his expression.

            Don could feel his face heating up.  “I saw your hologram before Casey did and he didn’t know why I’d run off.  Then he saw it too and stopped me from going after you because he thought it was a trick.”

            “That’s one of the differences between you,” April said softly.  “You never hesitate to be there when I need you or even when _you_ think I need you.  Casey is more . . . cautious.”

            She sounded a little bit disappointed and Don debated on whether he should tell her that Casey wasn’t unconcerned about her well-being, he was just more concerned about _Don’s_.  He wondered too if her hesitation before the word ‘cautious’ was because that wasn’t a term usually used to describe the overly enthusiastic Casey Jones.

            Don settled for the simple truth.  “He cares about your safety too, April.  It’s just that Casey isn’t used to someone like you who is so capable and resourceful.”

            “You mean someone who’s a girl,” April said, qualifying Don’s statement.

            “He likes those qualities in you,” Don was quick to say.  “He likes that you’re unique.”

            They didn’t say anything else for a few minutes and then April asked with a touch of shy hopefulness in her voice, “Does he talk about me much?”

            The question made Don’s stomach do a back flip.  “Not to me,” he said a trifle defensively.

            April’s cheeks reddened.  “I’m sorry, Donnie.  I can see how uncomfortable you are when he’s around us and I know why.”

            Swallowing audibly, Don stuttered, “You d . . . do?”

            “Of course,” April said.  “It’s what we talked about.  You like me and you see Casey as a rival.”

            The fact that April recognized that Casey could be a rival for her affections told Don that she’d done some thinking along those lines.  It made him feel forlorn.

            “He’s human and you can go out in public with him,” Don said in a low voice.  “When you’re with Casey you can have a normal life.”

            “If I was worried about trying to have a normal life I wouldn’t have come back to the lair,” April said flatly.  “I realized even before finding out that I have alien DNA that normal doesn’t mean the same thing for me as it means for other people and I’m okay with that.”

            “Then you don’t mind all of this craziness?” Don asked.

            April laughed, her eyes darting over to look at him.  “Actually I sort of like a little craziness.  I have to say that I don’t care for the times when someone’s trying to kill you guys or use me for strange experiments, but hanging out with you more than makes up for it.”

            Don’s heart started to flutter wildly.  “You like hanging out with me?”

            April moved closer to him, so that her arm was nearly touching his as they walked.  Smiling at Don, she said, “Yeah, I do.  You’re smart and funny and really sweet.  I like those qualities.”

            “I don’t look like Casey though,” Don said, searching her eyes.

            April stopped abruptly, forcing Don to spin around to see her.  “I happen to like the way you look, Donatello,” she said with finality.  “You don’t look like Casey, you look like Don.  It just so happens that I think Don is very cute.”

            Slightly flustered by April’s compliments, Don threw caution to the wind.  “I think you’re beautiful,” he told her, blushing madly as he said it.

            Staring up at him, April asked softly, “You do?”

            It was then that Don decided to take a page from Casey’s book and be daring.  Leaning down slowly, Don placed a kiss on April’s lips.

            The kiss was neither too quick nor did it linger.  Don enjoyed the softness of her lips, the touch of moistness that gave her mouth such an alluring shimmer, before lifting his head to break the kiss.

            He was surprised to see that April had closed her eyes as he kissed her.  Don had half expected that she’d jump back from him before he ever connected with her mouth and he’d moved in slowly to give her that chance.

            Instead of trying to avoid the contact, April had tilted her head as she closed her eyes.  Now they fluttered open and the corners of her mouth lifted as she gazed at him.

            “I . . . I’m sorry, I know you wanted to go . . . go slow,” Don stammered, almost unable to comprehend his own audacity.

            “I liked that,” April said in a low voice.  “Don’t apologize.”

            “It’s just that this isn’t the most auspicious time or . . . or place . . . .”  Don closed his mouth, not sure what he was trying to explain to her.

            “You wanted our first kiss to be special,” April said.  “It was special, Donnie.”  Waving a hand around to illustrate where they were, she went on, “This is our life.  The Kraang aren’t going away anytime soon, Shredder isn’t going away anytime soon, but we’re fighting them together.  What could be more special than to finally realize that no matter what, we’re _together_?”

            Don reached out to caress April’s cheek with the backs of his fingers, wanting nothing more than to kiss her again.  What she’d said about fighting reminded him of Casey and even though he was finally sharing an intimate moment with April, something he’d dreamt about for so long, he couldn’t focus on just her.

            Pulling his hand away, Don took a deep breath and said, “I wish this moment could last forever, but we have to find out if Casey and my brothers are all right.  I’m going to risk a call.”

            Taking the T-Phone from his belt, Don hadn’t managed to do more than lift it when it started to vibrate and Don saw Mikey’s picture on the screen.

            “Mikey?” Don asked.

            _“It’s Casey, not Mikey,”_ Casey said, rather unnecessarily.  _“Where are you?”_

            “Still in the sewers.  We’re trying to avoid running headlong into any Kraang search parties,” Don said.  “Did you locate my brothers?”

            _“I found Leo and he said he’d find Raph and Mikey and they’d meet us back at the lair,”_ Casey said.  _“I told him they’d have to go on foot ‘cause April kinda broke the Shellraiser.”_

            “That means you’re on your way back to the lair too,” Don said, feeling a sense of relief.

            It was short lived.  _“Actually I ain’t.  I sort of ran into a little problem,”_ Casey said, sounding sheepish.

            April had pressed in close to Don in order to hear the conversation.  “What kind of problem, Casey?” she asked.

            _“Well, I saw some Kraang getting ready to go down into the sewers and decided that it wouldn’t be a great idea for them to follow you two,”_ Casey said.  _“So I shot a few soda cans at their heads and got them to chase me.  Now I’m hiding in a pigeon coop on the roof of a building on Amsterdam.”_

            If Don hadn’t made the T-Phone so sturdy, he would have crushed it in his hand.  “You should not have done that,” he told Casey.  “They probably have patrols on the street and in the air looking for you now.  Don’t move; I’ll come and get you.”

            _“No ya’ won’t,”_ Casey said in protest.

            “You listen to me . . .” Don spluttered angrily.

            Before he could say more, April intervened.  “Wait you guys.  Casey, you’re about a block and a half from Irma’s apartment.  Do you think you could make it there if you stayed on the roof tops and in the shadows?”

            _“Yeah, no sweat,”_ Casey said.

            “Good, then meet me there.  Her parents are out of town and we can hide there until the Kraang give up the search,” April said.

            _“I’ll only do it if ya’ promise to gag her.  She gives me a headache,”_ Casey said facetiously.

            “Try to be nice,” April said, “and ditch your gear unless you want her to know about your alter ego.”

            _“Shoot, I hear something.  Gotta go.  See ya’ in a few,”_ Casey said as the connection went dead.

            “You aren’t going out there alone,” Don immediately told April.

            “There’s a way from the sewers into the sub-basement in Irma’s building,” April said.  “I explored it once when she was doing laundry.”

            “Then we’ll both go.  Casey’s stunt was dangerous for all of us.  I have to make sure he wasn’t followed before you show yourself,” Don said.

            April nodded meekly, seeming to see how senseless it would be to remonstrate with him. 

            After a few minutes of silently trudging through the tunnels, April said, “You’re a _real_ hero, Donnie.  Please don’t be frustrated with Casey.  I think maybe he does some of those crazy things because he wants to be your equal.  I guess I’m trying to say that I don’t think you have to worry about him being a rival because I get this feeling that he actually wants your approval.  What I mean is I don’t believe he wants you to dislike him.”

            Startled, Don asked, “What gives you that idea?”

            April shrugged.  “Call it one of those vibes I get from time to time.  I sense something different about Casey when you’re around, and it isn’t jealousy or dislike.  Give me time, I’ll figure it out.”

            Pressing his lips into a tight line, Don dropped the subject.  It wasn’t as if things weren’t already complicated enough without April starting to dig around looking for Casey’s motivations.

            With growing trepidation, Don wondered what would happen if April found out the truth.


	69. 69. Annoyance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,629  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            He kissed April.  _He_ kissed April.  He _kissed_ April.  He kissed _April_.  And April kissed him back!

            Don still couldn’t believe he’d finally worked up the nerve to kiss her.  Maybe Casey was right when he said Don was afraid to show April how he truly felt because then she’d have a reason to tell him no.

            Of course Don had to admit that it was Casey’s influence that was partly responsible for the turtle’s brazen move on April.  Casey Jones was certainly playing a much larger part in Don’s life than he’d ever imagined.

            Despite that, during the trip to Irma’s apartment building, Don still couldn’t shake his annoyance with Casey.  The boy had his own brand of craziness and a decided lack of caution that meant he was a magnet for trouble.  Casey continued to behave as though he needed to play the role of Don’s guardian angel even though he knew that Don was a gifted ninja and quite capable of taking care of himself.

            Casey’s ploy in drawing the Kraang off of Don and April might not have been necessary, but the boy had done it anyway and had run into difficulties.  Worrying about him had cut short what had been a defining moment in Don’s relationship with April.

            Adding to it all was Don’s annoyance with himself.  He was allowing his confused emotions regarding Casey to ruin the purity of his feelings for April.  Why he couldn’t just give Casey a definitive answer about his sexual preferences Don didn’t know.  Maybe he just resented being forced to make that decision, which totally made no sense at all.

            Don really needed to find a way to stop feeling so conflicted.

            April had shot several side long looks in his direction as they walked, probably curious as to why Don was so quiet.  Finally she asked, “Are you okay, Donnie?”

            It was on the tip of his tongue to say, _“Casey’s bi-sexual and he’s been coming on to me.”_   Of course he didn’t.  “Yes.  I was just worried about Casey and not feeling very comfortable with you going up to your friend’s apartment alone, since I can’t come out in the open.”

            “You could wait in the laundry room and I won’t go any farther than the stairs,” April said.  “He’ll have to call up from the front door to get buzzed in and if I’m on the basement stairs I can intercept him and bring him down.”

            “Won’t Irma wonder where he went?” Don asked.

            “After we’re sure he wasn’t followed, Casey and I can go up together and tell her that he saw me coming over and waited until I got there,” April said.  “We’ll only stay long enough for the coast to clear and then come back down to join you.”

            “Suppose someone else is in the laundry room?” Don asked, not liking the idea of being separated from April by even a few feet.

            “Then you’ll have to hide on the sub-basement stairs,” April said.  “No one goes down there except the maintenance man and he doesn’t work nights.”

            Don couldn’t argue her logic since she seemed to have thought it through, but it didn’t make him any more comfortable.  “Get him out of sight as fast as you can,” he told her.

            “I will,” April said.  “I’d better call Irma and tell her we’re coming.  I’d hate to find out she picked tonight to go to the library.”

            A couple of minutes after April verified that Irma was home they found the entrance to her apartment building’s sub-basement.  Don led the way up the short ladder and pushed aside the heavy metal grate set in the floor.  After hopping through the opening, he checked to make sure they were alone and then offered April a hand up.

            April led the way to the stairs and went up first, pulling open the door and surveying the area to see if anyone was in the laundry room before signaling for Don to join her. She used the wooden block on the top stair to prop the door open so it wouldn’t lock them out before entering the laundry room.  As soon as Don stepped into the dimly lit space he heard one of the dryers going.

            “Someone will be coming back for that,” Don said, pointing towards the dryer.

            Biting her lip in consternation, April said, “I guess you’d better wait behind the door.  I promise I won’t go beyond the top of those stairs.”  She pointed towards the staircase on the other side of the room next to the elevator.

            Backing towards the first set of stairs, Don told her, “Come straight to me if anything looks off.”

            “I will Donnie,” April promised, giving him a warm smile.

            That smile was nearly enough to stop his worrying and he almost tripped down the sub-basement stairs because he was so busy watching April proceed up the second set of steps.  Mentally fussing at himself, Don slid behind the door but held it open just a crack so that he could see inside the laundry room.

            Fortunately for his mental health he didn’t have to wait long.  He heard the sound of April’s voice followed by Casey’s and breathed a silent sigh of relief when they both came down the stairs alone.

            Casey had done as April asked and hidden his gear someplace.  Without all of the handmade accoutrements, he looked like a normal teenage boy.  Perhaps not so typical though, Don amended.  Casey did have rugged good looks and the missing teeth, rather than detracting from his appearance, made him look slightly dangerous.

            Apparently April agreed with Don’s assessment, because she was holding Casey’s hand and standing very close to him.  Both of them had stopped once they entered the laundry room, making no attempt to join Don, and they appeared to be in the middle of a conversation.

            Don’s first inclination was to join them but two things stopped him; the first was the owner of the clothing in the dryer could appear at any moment and the second was that Don wanted to hear what they were talking about before he showed himself.  He had to admit that listening in wasn’t strictly honorable, but all’s fair as the saying went.  Perhaps Mikey was rubbing off on him.

            Even though the dryer made a great deal of noise, Don’s excellent hearing was in no way impaired by it.

            “. . . don’t know what ya’ was worried about,” Casey said, finishing a sentence that had begun at the top of the stairs.

            “You don’t always have to act so macho, Jones,” April said, her head back as she stared into his eyes.  “I heard your voice when you thought something was after you.  It’s okay to be scared.”

            “Speak for yourself, Red,” Casey said with a cocky grin.  “I don’t do scared.”

            “Right,” April said, her tone slightly sarcastic.  “You’re forgetting I’ve seen how you react around rats.”

            “That’s a completely different thing,” Casey said, trying to pull his hand away.  “Rats carry diseases.”

            April wasn’t releasing him and Casey didn’t fight her over it, instead furrowing his brow as he realized she had more to say.

            “I’m trying to tell you that I get scared _for_ you,” April said, her voice now soft.  “Why must you take so many chances?”

            Frowning, Don pressed his face against the small opening in the doorway, hoping that April was simply trying to admonish Casey for causing them concern.

            Casey shrugged, seemingly nonchalant despite how intensely April was gazing up at him.  “That’s just me Red, that’s how I roll.  I hope ya’ ain’t expecting me to cha . . . .”

            He didn’t even finish the sentence before April stood on her toes and planted a kiss squarely on his mouth.  It wasn’t lingering and there wasn’t anything coy about it, if anything the kiss seemed almost angry.

            It didn’t matter though, because Don was pretty sure his heart had stopped.

            Whatever Casey’s response would have been he didn’t get to make one.  The elevator opened and the pair quickly separated as an elderly women stepped out.  She glanced at them briefly before walking over to the dryer and grabbing her clothes.  While she emptied the dryer, Casey and April just stood looking at each other.

            The woman gave them another quick once over before entering the elevator.  As soon as the door slid shut, Casey asked, “Where’s Donnie?”

            That was Don’s cue to make an entrance, but he’d just touched the door handle when the elevator signaled another delivery and this time the girl Don recognized as April’s friend Irma came rushing out.

            “There you are!” Irma exclaimed.  “I couldn’t figure out where you two went but I ran into Mrs. Burrows in the hall and she said there were two teenagers in the laundry room.  What are you doing down here?”

            Casey cleared his throat but April answered before he could say anything.  “I thought someone was following me when I came here to meet Casey.  We wanted to make sure we didn’t lead anyone up to your apartment.”

            “Oh,” Irma said, her eyes owlish behind her glasses.  “Maybe it was the guy I shared that cage with when that crazy rat man captured us.  I got the feeling that he liked me.  I thought he was sort of cute in a mildly psychologically damaged kind of way.  Do you suppose I could find a way to meet him again?”

            April shot a mischievous look in Casey’s direction and said, “I think anything is possible, Irma.”

            After April’s show of affection towards both of the young men in her life, Don was beginning to think so too.


	70. 70. 67%

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,196  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13   
> ~~Am I the only one who sees a similarity between Irma and Velma?

            Still in his hiding place on the sub-basement stairs, Don leaned back against the wall and wondered how April could have forgotten that he was there.  She had to know that he would be watching her every movement and would see her kiss Casey.

            It wasn’t like her to forget.  Don straightened up so that he could look through the slightly open door, hoping that Irma had left.  She was still there and didn’t appear to be ready to go anyplace very soon.

            From what he could hear, Irma was spouting crime statistics for the area and comparing them to the strange things that were happening in the city.  Casey wore a pained expression on his face while April feigned interest.

            Don was beginning to wonder if he should throw a shuriken at the overhead lights so that he could come out of hiding when April’s head turned so that she was looking right at him.  Irma’s eyes were on Casey so April raised a finger to indicate that Don should hold on and then she winked at him.

            Readying himself for whatever April planned to do Don realized her actions confirmed that she’d known he’d be looking at her.  Yet she’d kissed Casey anyway.  All Don could figure out was that she’d wanted him to see her do that.

            Before Don could go any further with that train of thought, April suddenly jumped towards Irma and shouted, “Spider!”

            Her action pushed the other girl off her feet and both of them hit the ground.  As April landed partially on top of Irma their momentum caused the dark haired girl’s glasses to fly off of her face.

            “What the . . . ?” Casey began, looking all around them.

            “Up there,” April said, pointing towards the ceiling.  “It was a big, hairy one and it almost dropped right on top of Irma’s head.”

            “Is it gone?” Irma asked, sounding panicked.  “I don’t like spiders.”

            “I don’t see any spider,” Casey said, his head back as he searched the ceiling.

            “Check over there,” April said.  When she lifted her hand, it wasn’t to indicate which direction Casey should search, it was to beckon Donatello to come out of hiding.

            Don hesitated.  Irma was right there in front of him.

            “April, help me find my glasses,” Irma said plaintively.  “I can’t see without them.”

            “Ya’ can’t see anything?” Casey asked, spinning around to look at the girl.

            “Sixty-seven percent of Americans need glasses or a combination of glasses and contacts to see, Jones,” Irma said, on her hands and knees as she felt around the floor.  “67% is over half the population.”

            “I wasn’t dissing ya’,” Casey said, his tone slightly belligerent in response to the lecturing quality of Irma’s statement.

            Don stepped out into the open and Casey immediately spotted him.  Before Casey could say anything, Don touched a finger to his lips.

            “Do you see my glasses anywhere?” Irma asked, feeling around on the ground.

            April picked the glasses up from the floor and said, “No.  Maybe they slid over near the wall.  Stay where you are and I’ll look for them.”

            “Don’t ya’ have a spare?” Casey asked.  “If ya’ want, I can run up to your apartment and grab them.”

            “Oh Casey, would you?” Irma replied in a softer tone than she’d used earlier.  “It’s number 311; I left the door unlocked.  There’s an extra set of glasses on top of the television set.”

            “You get the other glasses, I’ll keep helping Irma look for the ones that fell,” April said, looking meaningfully from Casey to Don and back again.

            “Be right back,” Casey said.

            Don made a dash for the stairs with Casey going up right behind him.  When they neared the top, Don moved to the side so that Casey could check if the coast was clear.  Seeing no one, he ran across to the staircase and pulled the door open so that Don could dart inside as fast as possible.

            The pair made their way to the third floor using the emergency stairs and neither said a word while they climbed.  After making sure the hallway in front of Irma’s apartment was clear, Casey opened the door and Don joined him inside.

            As soon as the door was shut and latched behind them, Casey spun around and asked, “Were you down there in the laundry room this whole time?”

            “Darn right I was,” Don said, facing Casey.  “What’s the idea of kissing April?”

            “I didn’t kiss April,” Casey said, stepping towards Don.  “If ya’ were watching, then ya’ know that she kissed _me_.  Ya’ got any idea what that was all about?  What did ya’ do while the two of ya’ were in the tunnels, make her mad about something?”

            “No!” Don exclaimed.  “We were getting along just fine until we had to come rescue you.  We were getting along better than fine.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” Casey demanded.  Suddenly he went very still.  “Did the two of ya’ . . . ?”

            Don suddenly felt very flustered.  An hour earlier he would have loved to tell the world that he’d kissed April, but that was when he thought it was a simple thing of he liked her and she liked him.

            “You should get Irma’s spare glasses and take them down to her before she gets suspicious,” Don said more quietly.

            “April will keep her busy,” Casey said.  “Did April kiss ya’ too?”

            “Just forget it Casey,” Don said, walking over to look out of a window.  “I don’t see any Kraang.  If we wait a little longer I’ll bet we can get back to the lair by running along the roof tops.”

            Don had never felt such inner turmoil in his life.  Right now all he wanted to do was sit in a quiet corner of his lab and try to figure some things out.

            He heard Casey’s voice almost directly behind him.  “Why do ya’ think she wanted ya’ to see her kiss me?”

            “I don’t know,” Don said.  He wanted to be mad at the boy for stealing April’s affections but he couldn’t.  Casey was right, he hadn’t instigated that kiss.  “When we were walking here, she said she was sensing something different about you when I’m around.  She said she was going to figure out what that was.”

            Casey’s hand on his shoulder turned Don around.  “I ain’t much of an actor, Donnie.  I can’t hide how I feel about ya’ from everyone forever.”

            Don flushed, the heat rising to his face as Casey moved closer, both of his hands lightly gripping Don’s upper arms.  “B . . . but this is April.  She’s sp . . .  special to me.”

            “Then maybe we should stop treating her like a kid and tell her that she’s special to both of us,” Casey said, getting right into Don’s personal space.  “Maybe it’s time we told her how we feel about each other too.”

            “Casey, I’m not sure . . . .” Don began.

            “I am,” Casey said, pulling Don into his arms and covering the startled turtle’s mouth with his own.


	71. 71. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,671  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Stunned at the bold way that Casey took control of the situation, Don simply stood frozen as the boy kissed him.  Then there was the fleeting thought that he should pull away, but something prevented him from doing so.

            It felt good.  Surprisingly, remarkably good.  After all they’d been through together, after Casey’s persistent pursuit, after all the confusion; Don decided to just enjoy the feeling of kissing someone who really wanted to be with him.

            Closing his eyes, Don shivered as he allowed his sense of touch to be the only one of the six to accept input.  His lips registered how strong and soft Casey’s were, his body basked in the warmth that the boy gave off.

            Casey sensed the difference in Don’s response and tightened his hold on the turtle.  Slowly Don lifted his arms and wrapped them around Casey’s waist.

            As soon as Don returned his embrace, Casey groaned and opened his mouth.  Don felt the boy’s tongue probing for a point of entry and for the first time, his lips parted to allow Casey access.

            When his brain tried to remind Don of where he was, he pushed the thought away.  It wasn’t hard to do; as soon as their tongues met inside Don’s mouth, all of his higher functions vacated the premises.

            Along with an overwhelming excitement, Donatello felt an almost out of body experience.  Nothing seemed to exist at that moment except for Casey Jones.

            Don had no idea how much farther they would have gone if a pair of voices hadn’t penetrated through his fog.

            “What could be taking him so long?” Irma asked, her petulant voice clearly audible through the apartment door.

            “Maybe the glasses weren’t where you said they’d be,” April replied loudly, obviously hoping to warn the guys and clue Casey in on the story he should tell.

            Even with that advance warning it took a moment for Casey and Don to separate.  Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough.

            The sound of the key in the lock was almost immediately followed by Irma flinging the door open.  Don had started to move as soon as the door did, but he had to waste a second dodging around Casey who seemed to be suddenly stiff legged.

            Don bolted for the nearest room.  Although he moved fast, Irma still caught a quick glimpse of him.

            “Who was that?” Irma demanded as the bedroom door snapped shut behind Don.

            “Um . . . I don’t . . . nobody,” Casey stammered.

            “Someone Casey knows from hockey,” April said at the same time.

            “Why is he here?  Where did he come from and why did he go into my parent’s bedroom?” Irma asked in rapid fire succession, starting towards the bedroom door.  “You aren’t fooling me April.  That was one of your mystery friends you keep ditching me for.”

            “Irma, wait!” April called out.

            Don heard them coming nearer and frantically looked around the room.  The windows had intricate safety grills covering them that would take too long to remove.  The bathroom was too open and he wouldn’t fit under the bed with all of the things that were stored there.  Although the closet was too obvious it was his only option.

            He’d just pulled the door closed behind him when Don heard the other three teens come into the room.

            “He’s really shy, Irma,” April said hastily.  “Maybe we could set up another time for you to meet him when he feels more comfortable.”

            “He’s inside my apartment; how shy can he be?” Irma asked.  Through the slats in the louvered door Don could see her looking around for him.

            “Maybe he’s in the bathroom,” Casey suggested, finally recovering his ability to form full sentences.  He attempted to urge the girl in that direction.

            “That door is wide open,” Irma said as she turned towards Don’s hiding place.  “Hey you, I know you’re in the closet, come on out.”

            Don looked up to see if there was another escape, but there was no attic door.  The shelves were narrow and even if he could have fit on them, they were jam packed with stuff, making it impossible for him to climb up and cling to the ceiling.

            Hearing the determined girl approaching despite Casey and April’s best efforts to keep her away, Don yanked a shawl off of a nearby hanger and draped it over his head.  It barely reached his belt line but it was the best he could do in a pinch.

            The closet door opened just as Don pushed his way into a corner and crouched down.  Irma flipped the light switch on and stood in the doorway, surveying the small space.  Don’s hopes soared; maybe she wouldn’t see him.

            Irma’s eyes skimmed past his hiding place and then she did a quick double take and Don found himself staring directly into her face.

            “April told me you’re shy, but you can’t hide in my parent’s closet forever,” Irma said.

            Behind her Don could see the stricken expressions on his friend’s faces.  There was nothing Don could do but reveal himself to the girl and hope that she could keep a secret.

            “Don, I’m sorry.  I . . . .” April began.

            “It’s okay, April,” Don replied.  “She’s your friend, I trust her to keep this to herself.”

            Very slowly Don stood up, allowing the shawl to drop from his head.  Irma’s eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she fainted.

            Casey caught her as she fell.  “Great,” he said sarcastically, lifting Irma in his arms.  “How do I always get stuck with her?”

            “Take her out to the living room and put her on the couch,” April directed.  “I’ll get a cold wash cloth.”

            April dashed into the bathroom and Don followed Casey as he carried the unconscious girl to the couch.

            “Maybe we can all just leave and let her think the whole thing was a figment of her imagination,” Casey proposed.

            “That won’t work,” April said, walking up to the couch.  Kneeling next to Irma, she pressed the wash cloth to the girl’s forehead and then her neck.  “Trying to find out who my secret friends are has become kind of an obsession with Irma.  She isn’t going to back off.  We have to tell her the truth.”

            “Can she keep it to herself?” Don asked worriedly.

            Before April had a chance to answer, Irma moaned and her eyes fluttered open.  Don took a step back so that he was out of her line of sight, hoping to give her a minute of adjustment.

            When she spotted April, Irma asked, “I really saw that didn’t I?”

            April nodded.  “He isn’t a ‘that’, he’s a sentient mutated turtle.”  She lifted her hand to Don and when he took it, April pulled him forward.  “Irma I’d like you to meet Donatello.  Donatello, this is my friend Irma.”

            “I’m very happy to meet you, Irma,” Don said in his most polite tone.

            Irma merely stared for a second and then as she pushed herself upright she said, “Wow.  You are real.  I knew April was hiding someone from me but I thought she’d gotten in with a bad crowd.”

            Don didn’t miss her quick glance in Casey’s direction which seemed to indicate that Irma had formed that assumption because of him.

            “Don is about as far from bad as you can get,” April assured her friend.  “He and his brothers are crime fighters.”

            “Brothers?  You mean there are more of them?” Irma asked April.

            “Four,” Don answered for her.

            April took her friend’s hand in her own and looked Irma directly in the eye.  “You have to promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone,” April told her.  “You’d put Don’s life in danger and possibly ours as well.”

            “Who am I going to tell?”  Irma asked rhetorically.  “I’m trying to get into MIT.  Do you really think I want anyone to hear me talking about giant turtles?”

            “You have a point,” April said, rising to her feet as Irma stood up from the couch.

            Walking right up to Don, Irma peered at his face closely and then began to rake her eyes over his body.  Feeling distinctly uncomfortable with her rapt attention, Don sent a look in April’s direction that he hoped she’d understand was a call for help.

            Chuckling, April stepped in front of Don, her backside touching his thigh as she interposed her body between him and Irma.

            “He ain’t a lab rat,” Casey muttered.

            “Fascinating,” Irma said.  “I have so many questions.”

            “Not tonight, okay Irma?”  April glanced back at Don and then said, “We’re here because there are some . . . some _things_ after us.  We needed a place to hide until they give up on searching for us.  The problem is that once is turns daylight we can’t leave for obvious reasons.”

            “Didn’t ya’ come up through the tunnels?” Casey asked.  “Why don’t we go back that way?”

            “Because you were the one who said you saw them trying to go into the tunnels after us,” Don pointed out.  “They’ve probably done that by now.”

            “Tunnels?  _Sewer_ tunnels?” Irma asked, wrinkling her nose.

            “You’d be surprised at how refreshing it is down there,” Casey said with a cocky grin.

            “I spent some time in the sewers when that crazy rat man kidnapped me,” Irma snapped, “and I did not like it.  Is that who’s after you?  The rat man?”

            “No, he’s gone,” April assured her.  “It’s too long of a story for right now, Irma.  What we really need to do is figure out a way to get Donnie home without him being seen by anyone.”

            The four looked at each other.  For a minute no one said anything and then Irma’s head came up, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses.

            “I know exactly what we can do,” Irma announced, sounding pleased with herself.

            Don had a sinking feeling that he wasn’t going to like her idea.


	72. 72. Mischief Managed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,733  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Donatello stood in front of a full length mirror and stared aghast at his reflection.  Irma was next to him, her smile bright as she examined her handiwork.

            “How did I get talked into this?” Don muttered to himself.

            He was wearing a long gown that nearly reached his ankles.  On his legs were knee high wool socks and his feet were shoved into a pair of oversized, backless house shoes.  The gown left his shoulders bare, but Irma had solved that problem by grabbing the shawl Don had used earlier and draping it over his head.

            The gown was at least a decent color in Don’s estimation; a deep purple that nearly matched his mask.  However, the socks were gray, the shoes were blue plaid, and the shawl was vibrant orange.

            “You look just like my Grammy,” Irma said proudly.

            Don heard Casey snicker and then the boy asked, “Wanna go to the prom?”

            “I wouldn’t talk if I were you,” Don countered, turning to survey Casey’s costume.

            After they had explained to Irma that none of the three could be seen outside, she’d come up with the idea that they all wear disguises.  Not only had she thrown together the get up that Don was wearing, she’d also created costumes for Casey and April as well.

            Irma’s father was apparently a large man judging from the way his clothes swamped Casey’s lean form.  To make up for the missing girth, the pants Casey wore had to be stuffed with pillows, giving the boy a very rotund silhouette.  Topping off the suit Casey sported a large panama hat which had once been owned by Irma’s grandfather.

            April wore one of Irma’s mother’s business suits in a shade of green that would have gone well with her red hair except that her head and face were covered by a dark hat and veil.  The suit skirt reached past her knees and she’d removed her stockings to leave her legs bare so that she’d be even more unrecognizable.

            “You guys did say you didn’t want to be seen,” Irma said importantly.

            “How is anyone _not_ going to see us in these outfits?” Casey asked.  “We should be carrying neon signs saying ‘here we are’.”

            “First of all, it’s very early in the morning,” Irma said, holding up one finger almost directly in front of Casey’s face.  Lifting another, she went on.  “Secondly, this is New York City.  You three don’t look in the least unusual.  Thirdly, the outfits only have to hide your identities down to the corner where we can hail a cab.”

            “We?” Casey asked.

            “Cab?” Don asked at the same time.

            Just at that moment Don’s T-Phone started to vibrate, startling him.  He automatically reached for his belt, only to be stymied by the gown.

            “Is that your T-Phone?” April asked, hearing it vibrate against Don’s shell.

            Don started to blush.  “Um yeah.  Excuse me.”

            Lifting the gown high, Don reached under it to retrieve his phone.  Casey let out a low wolf whistle which only served to further embarrass the turtle.  Glancing at the screen, he saw that the call was coming from Leo.

            “Hey Leo,” Don said, his voice neutral despite being flustered.

            _“Hi D!  It’s Mikey,”_ Mikey announced somewhat unnecessarily.  _“Where are you guys?”_

            “We’re at April’s friend’s apartment,” Don said.  “We’re just trying to find a way to get back to the lair without being caught by the Kraang.”

            _“You met April’s friend?  Does she like you?  What happened when you guys met?”_ Mikey asked excitedly.

            “Yes, I think so, and she fainted,” Don said, answering Mikey’s questions in order.  “She’s okay now.  Why do you have Leo’s phone?  Where is he?”

            _“Well, duh, I’ve got Leo’s phone because Casey has mine,”_ Mikey said, as if that were perfectly obvious.  _“Leo is with Raph.  I got hungry and saw that Mr. Murakami was down in his restaurant, so I told them to head back to the lair without me.”_

            Don rubbed his forehead in an attempt to relieve the pressure that tended to build there when he was trying to have a phone conversation with Mikey.  “Leo agreed to that?  Aren’t the Kraang still chasing you three?”

            _“Nah, the holograms worked great.  Mischief managed bro’,”_ Mikey said, sounding much too chipper.  _“We had them practically chasing each other.  I’d still be careful in the tunnels though.  I heard a couple of them talking and they said your gadget blew up their mind control thingy.  They aren’t too happy with you.”_

            “Are you at Mr. Murakami’s now?” Don asked, his mind turning fast.

            Irma had sounded determined to tag along with them but Don wasn’t ready to show her where the lair was located.  Going to Murakami’s restaurant sounded like a much better alternative.  It would get them out of Irma’s apartment and most of the way back to the lair.

            _“Yep.  He set up a little table in the back just for us!  Now we can come here to eat whenever we want and won’t have to worry about being seen,”_ Mikey announced.

            “Leo wasn’t concerned about you going off by yourself without knowing where we were?” Don asked suspiciously.

            _“That’s why I have his phone, Donnie,”_ Mikey said.  _“I told him I’d call you and tell you to bring April and Casey to Mr. Murakami’s.  If I couldn’t reach you or if anything was wrong, I was supposed to ring Raph’s T-Phone and tell them.  He said he wanted to let Master Splinter know what was happening, so I suggested he should take Raph with him.”_

            Don grimaced slightly.  He had a feeling that Mikey’s ‘mischief managed’ had to do with more than getting the Kraang off his shell.

            “Okay, stay there,” Don instructed.  “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

            _“Cool.  I’ll tell Murakami-san to make some more pizza gyoza,”_ Mikey said.

            After he got off the call with Mikey, Don once more lifted his gown to put his T-Phone away, this time too distracted to be embarrassed.  He needed to have a long talk with Mikey because it sounded as if his youngest brother was encouraging whatever Leo and Raph had going on between them.

            “Is everything all right?” April asked, concerned by the look on Don’s face.

            Snapping out of his reverie, Don said, “Oh; yeah everything is fine.  Leo and Raph are headed back to the lair to let our father’s know that we’re okay.  Mikey somehow talked Mr. Murakami into opening a back room for him so that we’d have a place to go and something to eat.”

            “This Murakami knows about you guys?” Casey asked.

            “It’s a long story,” Don said.  “He’s a friend.  We should go, Mikey’s waiting.”

            To Don’s intense mortification, Casey had to hold onto his arm to keep him from tripping as Don tried to walk in the house shoes.  In the elevator April had a fit of giggles as she saw their reflection as a group for the first time.

            The apartment building lobby was empty when they reached it, but on the sidewalk they passed an old man who was walking his dog.  He gave them an odd look and crossed to the other side of the street, but otherwise ignored them.

            Irma had said the corner was the best place to hail a cab at that time of the morning and the foursome stopped when they reached it.  They had to wait almost ten minutes before Casey spotted one cruising nearby and whistled shrilly to get the driver’s attention.

            While Casey was waving it down Don noticed movement on the opposite corner and glanced over.  Standing there were two Kraang wearing their ‘man suits’.  He inhaled sharply, which got April’s attention and when she saw what he was looking at, she grabbed his arm.

            The Kraang appeared to be searching the street, their heads swiveling left, right, and up towards the roof tops.  Though both of the Kraang looked directly at the group on the street corner, neither showed any signs of recognizing them.

            “It’s working,” April whispered.

            Don kept his head down so they wouldn’t see his face, but his eyes were on them as the cab pulled in at the curb.  Casey opened the door and Irma climbed in, followed by April.

            “Come on ‘Grammy’ ,” Casey said humorously.  “Get in.”

            Once more Casey held his arm as Don maneuvered to get into the low slung vehicle.  Wearing a tight gown and loose fitting shoes while trying to move around was quite a task and rivaled any exercise in balance Master Splinter had ever put them through.

            Once the ‘girls’ were all in the back, Casey jumped into the seat next to the cabbie.  Since it wouldn’t do for Don’s voice to come out of an old ladies disguise, April gave the driver the address to Mr. Murakami’s restaurant and they started off.

            Don looked through the back windshield and was happy to see the Kraang were walking in the opposite direction, apparently none the wiser.  He breathed a sigh of relief and settled back to enjoy his first cab ride.

            There was a single light burning inside the restaurant when the cab pulled up in front of it.  Irma paid the fare with a credit card and the four tumbled out, going straight to the door as the cab drove away.

            April tried the door handle but found that it was locked.  She looked at Don questioningly and the turtle reached up to tap lightly on the door.

            They heard the lock being turned back and then the door opened quickly.  The first thing Don saw was Mr. Murakami happily cooking away, as though early morning visitors were completely commonplace.

            When all four were inside, the door was shut behind them and once more locked.  Don turned around to find Mikey standing there, a wide grin on his face.

            “You guys look awesome!” Mikey said and then he spotted Irma.

            The two stared at each other without blinking and Don noticed that Mikey’s cheeks were growing pink.  When Don glanced at Irma, he saw that she too was sporting a very becoming blush and a coquettish smile.

            “Hi,” Irma said, her voice carrying a lilt Don hadn’t heard earlier.

            “Hi,” Mikey said in return and Don swore there were stars in his eyes.


	73. 73. I Can't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,638  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~Note: This is something I should have added when I first posted this chapter. Rubbing chopsticks together is poor etiquette and is insulting to the restaurant you are dining in. Waribashi are wooden, disposable chopsticks. They are packaged in white paper and the tops are connected, requiring the diner to pop them apart before use. The habit of rubbing them together came about because very inexpensive disposable chopsticks have splinters. Rubbing them together at a dining establishment is a way of saying that you believe the chopsticks are cheap. The only reason Don did so in this chapter was because these were 'to go' chopsticks. Unfortunately, in the U.S. there are still many establishments - mostly take out - who do not provide you with high quality chopsticks. Rubbing them together is a form of self-preservation because splinters hurt. If you see that you need to rub a pair together, do so out of sight of the restaurant employees. Many thanks to FoxKid1302 and Dania-Audax for pointing out that I should have elaborated on this.

            As fascinating as it was to watch Mikey and Irma’s reactions to each other, Don had to keep in mind that there were more pressing matters at hand.

            “Mikey, this is Irma.  Irma, my brother Michelangelo,” Don said quickly.  “Mikey, how about we all go into that back room you were telling me about?  The Kraang are still out there looking for us.”

            “Huh?  Oh sure,” Mikey said, his eyes still on Irma.  “Are you hungry?” he asked her.  “Wanna try some pizza gyoza?  Mr. Murakami invented it just for us.”

            “I’ll try anything once,” Irma said.  “You never know what’s going to be good if you don’t give things a chance.”

            “That’s what I say!” Mikey exclaimed excitedly as he led the group through a heavy curtain that took them into Murakami’s storage area.

            The room wasn’t very deep but it did run the length of the restaurant.  On one end was a walk in freezer and shelving units which held the restaurant supplies.  Near them was a rectangular table surrounded by several mismatched chairs.  The back door was only a few feet away, giving them a fast way out if need be.

            Don immediately removed the shawl and draped it over a chair back.  “I can’t wear this outfit any longer,” he said as he kicked off the house shoes.

            “Me either,” April agreed, taking the hat and veil off.  “This thing is so hot.”

            As Don slithered out of the gown he half expected Mikey to make some embarrassing comment, but his younger brother was busy pulling a chair out for Irma to sit on.  Rolling his eyes, Don turned his head to find Casey avidly watching him, his lips lifted in an appreciative smile.

            Don tried not to be ruffled by the look on Casey’s face, but his mind went back to earlier when they had kissed.  The memory of Casey’s tongue sliding into his mouth brought an immediate flush to Don’s face, which he tried to hide by bending down to yank off his socks.

            The position gave him an unobstructed view of April’s long, bare legs.  She’d removed the skirt first and was in the process of unbuttoning the suit jacket.  Don rose up slowly, his eyes glued to her hands, which seemed to be doing a slow motion strip tease.  Once all of the buttons were released, April reached up to take the jacket off her shoulders, shrugging them to cause the jacket to fall off her arms.  The movement made her pert breasts bounce and Don unconsciously flicked his tongue across his lips.

            Something bumped into his hip and jolted him out his trance.  Turning his head, Don discovered that Casey had moved up next to him, standing very close as he opened his belt and dragged the pillows out of the front of the oversized pants he was wearing.  There was a lurid quality to the way Casey let the pants drop to his ankles and even though Don knew the boy had jeans on underneath, he swallowed thickly and tried not to look down.

            There was a definite dare to the expression on Casey’s face, as though he wanted Don to try and deny that Casey’s provocative movements weren’t affecting the turtle.  It was another one of those situations that dictated this was neither the time nor place for that kind of thing, but that had never bothered Casey before.  The boy had a one track mind and a focus that could rival Leo’s.

            Thinking of Leo made Don look back to where Irma was sitting, surprised to find that his brother wasn’t there.  A second later the curtain parted and Mikey entered with a large tray containing pizza gyoza and bowls of noodle soup.

            When he spotted April reaching for a chair, Don skipped quickly over to her and pulled the chair out, just as he’d seen Mikey do for Irma.  April flashed him a warm smile as she sat down, leaving Don with a distinctly happy fluttering in his stomach.

            Blindly groping for the chair next to hers, Don suddenly heard Casey clear his throat and then noticed the boy had already pulled it out for him.

            Indignation flared in his brown eyes.  Casey’s constant teasing since they’d left Irma’s was bad enough, he was darned if he’d let Casey keep treating him like a girl.

            Since both Mikey and April were busy pressing Irma to take a bite of the pizza gyoza, they didn’t hear Casey say, “If ya’ wanna be next to April, go ahead and sit down.”

            “I will, thank you,” Don told him with sharp politeness, grabbing the back of the chair and jerking it out of Casey’s hands.

            As he sat down, he heard Casey gurgle with amusement and then the youth slid into the seat on the other side of Don, pulling his chair as close as possible to the turtle.

            Don half expected Casey to reach over and put a hand on his leg.  It was a definite temptation to do that with April, especially knowing her legs were bare, but Don had a lot more self-control than Casey usually showed.  He was a bit surprised that Casey kept his hands to himself, and then more than a little taken aback by how disappointed he was that Casey _didn’t_ try something.

            When had he gone from having a solid crush on April to wanting the attentions of both she and Casey?  Don decided that he had to be beyond tired because he wasn’t making any sense.

            Mikey was gushing over Irma who had eaten her pizza gyoza and declared it the best thing she’d ever tried.  April slid soup bowls over to Don and Casey and then snagged some pizza gyoza for them, placing the food on small plates and passing them down along with chopsticks.

            Don had a mouth full of noodles when Casey asked, “They got any spoons and forks in this place?”

            Glancing over, Don noticed Casey was holding the chopsticks up in the air and staring at them like they were foreign objects.  Which apparently they were.

            Swallowing his noodles, Don turned in his chair and took the chopsticks from Casey’s hand.

            “Haven’t you ever used chopsticks?” Don asked.

            “Obviously not,” Casey told him.  “I tried once but I can’t get the hang of them.”

            “Here, I’ll show you how,” Don said.

            Casey watched closely as Don pulled the sticks apart and rubbed them together lightly to remove any splinters.  Grasping Casey’s hand, Don seated the bottom stick firmly against his third and fourth fingers and then placed his thumb on top of the middle part of the chopstick.

            Next Don positioned the other chopstick on Casey’s index and middle fingers and showed him how to use the tip of his thumb to keep the chopstick in place.

            “Keep the ends even and move only the top chopstick,” Don instructed.  “It takes practice, so go slow until you get better with them.”

            He guided Casey’s hand as the boy used the chopsticks to pick up one of the pizza gyoza.  Casey dropped it and started to growl in frustration, but Don moved closer, placing his hand atop Casey’s as he urged the boy to try again.

            This time Casey managed to lift the food to his mouth.  A smile of pure joy lit his face as Casey devoured the morsel.

            “You did it!” Don said enthusiastically.

            “Hey, these are good,” Casey said, carefully manipulating the chopsticks by himself so he could get another pizza gyoza.  He turned his head so that his face was inches from Don’s.  “Going slow with you has a big payoff.”

            Don didn’t miss the innuendo but had no time to react to it as Casey returned to his meal.  Sitting up straight, Don snagged a pizza gyoza for himself and ate it unhurriedly, watching his friends and brother interacting so happily.  It amazed him how they could all bounce back so quickly even though they still hadn’t managed to make it home.

            Home.  The word brought with it the longing for his bed and the peaceful comfort of the lair.  Leo and Raph had made it back there without a hitch and that’s all Don wanted to do too.

            “Mikey, we should clean up and tell Mr. Murakami thank you,” Don said.  “I’m more than ready to go home.”

            “Aw chill bro’,” Mikey said, looking up from the animated conversation he was engaged in with Irma.  “Leo and Raph are making sure nobody worries about us.”

            It was the third time Mikey had referred to Leo and Raph as though they were conjoined twins.  Whatever Mikey was trying to do, Don wasn’t going to humor him.  The night had already been much too long and Don was beyond exhausted, not to mention sore and dirty.

            Standing abruptly, Don said, “Could I speak to you for a moment?”

            The words were polite but the tone got through to Mikey, who had lived with Don long enough to know when the genius wasn’t kidding.  He excused himself and followed Don, who led the way through the back door and into the alley behind Murakami’s restaurant.

            “What’s up D?” Mikey asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

            Don turned on him.  “I’ve been knocked out twice tonight and one of those times I woke up in a cell,” he said distinctly.  “I have crawled through air ducts, broken my bo staff, and played dress up to escape the Kraang.  I want to go home.”

            “We will,” Mikey assured him.  “I just wanted to give our bros a little time first.”

            Frustrated with Mikey’s mysteries, Don said, “You have to tell me what’s going on between Leo and Raph.”

            Mikey returned Don’s fixed gaze and then said, “I can’t.”


	74. 74. Are You Challenging Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,800  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don felt his frustration level start to rise but somehow pushed it back down.  Getting aggravated with Mikey wasn’t going to help; the younger turtle had a special way of thinking about things.

            “I know you see everything,” Don said.  “Don’t you think it’s time to stop keeping some of those secrets?  I’ve already got an idea about Leo and Raph because of what I overheard in the lab.”

            “You don’t understand,” Mikey said.  “I can’t tell you ‘cause I don’t know for sure.  I just know they gotta work it out themselves without a lot of other people around.”

            “Mikey, are they trying to be _involved_ with each other?” Don asked, standing over his brother and trying to will the truth out of him.

            “Kinda depends on what you mean by involved,” Mikey answered, not appearing at all intimidated by Don’s proximity.

            Don decided to be straight forward in the hopes that Mikey would do the same.  “I mean are they thinking about having the kind of relationship that a man and wife have with each other.”

            Mikey frowned at him.  “You say that like it’s not a good thing.”

            “How could it be?” Don asked, huffing with exasperation.  “They’re _brothers_!”

            “We’re turtles,” Mikey said as though the concept was simple enough for even Don to understand.  “You guys reminded me of that back when you made the retro mutagen.”

            “Turtles who were raised to be brothers,” Don insisted.

            “Those are just words, Donnie,” Mikey said.  “What do you want them to do, go through life acting like they don’t have those feelings for each other?  Is that how you want things to be between you and April?”

            It wasn’t the same thing, Don’s mind protested, but he was starting to be confused by how adamant Mikey was on the subject.

            “How is this even possible?  I thought Leo liked Karai,” Don said.

            “He kinda did,” Mikey said.  “She was new and exciting and paid attention to him.  That’s when Raph stopped pretending he didn’t have a thing for Leo.  I think he was jealous,” Mikey added with a delighted chortle.

            “Maybe Leo should focus on Karai instead of his own brother,” Don said morosely.

            Mikey shrugged.  “But then he’d be trying to get with his sister.  Isn’t that just as bad in your book?”

            “They aren’t blood related,” Don told him sharply.

            “We probably aren’t either,” Mikey responded.  “That’s what you told me not too long ago.”

            “But we . . . how can you . . . that doesn’t make it okay,” Don spluttered.

            “Like you said, we were raised together,” Mikey said, undaunted by Don’s protests.  “You’ve seen how those two have been their whole lives, how close they are.  Even when they’re fighting it’s like they _need_ to have the other one agree with them.  Remember when we thought we lost Leo in the Kraang ship? Did you hear Raph’s voice and see his face?  Who saved Leo when he jumped off the TCRI building?  How many times has Leo sliced an enemy who was trying to get Raph?  Come on D, wake up.”

            Don stepped back from his younger brother, his mind racing.  He remember the words Raph had said to Leo in the lab,  _“You got any idea how I felt when I thought you’d died in that Kraang ship?”_

            It wasn’t just the words, it was the way Raph had said them.  It was the way Leo had touched Raph’s face.  It was the pain in both of their voices.

            “They’re never going to find anyone to love them the way they love each other,” Mikey said softly.  “I’m not as smart as you, but I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

            For a minute Don felt like he couldn’t breathe.  Was it possible his older brothers felt the same kind of love for each other that he felt for April?  How could that have happened without him ever seeing it?

            Don suddenly had to know for certain, he had to hear it from Raph because the hot head would tell him if Don asked the question just right.  He had a bargaining chip after all; he had Casey.

            “We have to go home,” Don said.  “Right now.”

            Mikey stared at him for a second and then said, “Okay.”

            Without waiting for his brother, Don darted back into the restaurant, a determined expression on his face.  The three friends at the table looked up at him as he strode over and stood next to them.

            “We’re going back to the lair now,” Don said, his tone brooking no argument.  “Let’s call a cab for Irma.”

            “You can’t send her back by herself,” Mikey protested.  “It isn’t safe.”

            “It isn’t safe for her or us to have her see where we live,” Don said, not worrying that his words might be less than polite.

            “We could blindfold her,” April said, reaching up to take Don’s hand and looking at him beseechingly.  “The Kraang might figure out that the people they saw getting into that cab was us.  They’d be waiting for her.”

            Mikey was hovering around Irma’s chair and he squatted next to her.  “You’d be okay with a blindfold, wouldn’t you?  I’d guide you the whole way and make sure you’re safe.”

            Irma looked at him and smiled.  “Sure, I don’t mind, as long as you don’t let me bump into anything.”

            “I’d carry you before I’d let that happen,” Mikey said, lifting an arm to show his muscles.  “I’m really strong.”

            Giggling, Irma reached out and playfully squeezed his arm.  “Ooh, you really are!”

            April was still staring at Don expectantly.  Casey rose from his chair and started piling the empty plates and bowls together.

            It was partly that April was asking his permission and partly the fact that he didn’t want to waste any more time arguing that made Don agree.  “All right.  It is probably better if she doesn’t go home until her parents return.”

            Although he was in a hurry to leave, Don had to wait as Mikey and Irma quickly washed the dishes they had used.  April took Casey out to meet Mr. Murakami and thank him for the meal.  He in turn gave them a to-go box of pizza gyoza to take back to the other two turtles.

            When they were finally in the sewers and on their way home, April told Don, “Mr. Murakami said that some men came into his restaurant not long ago and tried to put something on his neck.  He said there were three of them and they all sounded exactly the same.”

            “They were trying to put a mind control device on him?  What happened?” Don asked.

            “He hit one of them with a frying pan, tossed the thing on the floor, and stomped on it.  For some reason it wouldn’t attach to his neck,” April said.  “They left after that and didn’t bother him again.”

            “I’ll bet it was because he’s blind,” Don said excitedly.  “His visual cortex isn’t available to the device so it couldn’t make a proper connection.”

            Walking on the other side of Don, Casey said, “Ya’ messed up their main mind control thingy.  Do ya’ think they’ll try to make a new and improved one?”

            “If they do, I’ll blow that one up too,” Don said grimly.

            April linked her arm through his and sighed.  “You really are wonderful Donnie.”

            Don’s entire body lit up with a warm glow, his heart thrumming in his chest.  He was pretty sure that April would always have that effect on him.

            “There ain’t another genius like him,” Casey said, his voice filled with admiration.  Sliding his fingers across Don’s forearm, Casey caught hold of Don’s hand and gave it a squeeze before letting go.

            The three of them made the entire trip back to the lair in close proximity to each other.  Don was afraid he was giving Mikey more ammunition to play with, but the youngest turtle seemed completely focused on Irma, who he had blindfolded with his own mask.

            As soon as they entered the lair, Mikey slipped the blindfold off of Irma and she put her glasses back on.  Blinking a few times, she turned her head to look all around her and then said, “This is where you live?  It’s amazing!”

            Mikey’s grin was as wide as Don had ever seen it.  “Come on, I’ll give you a tour.”

            Grabbing her hand, Mikey pulled Irma along, talking a mile a minute.  Don realized that after the Bradford debacle it was probably nice for Mikey to have found a human friend who sincerely liked him.

            Turning to April and Casey, Don said, “You should check on your mom, Casey.  Since your dad isn’t out here waiting for you April, he probably doesn’t know you took off after us.”

            “I’ll go with Casey to see if his mom needs anything,” April said.  “Then I’d better get to bed in case dad wakes up early.”

            The pair moved off towards the room where Casey’s mom was staying and for once Don didn’t feel any trepidation in their being together.  He would analyze that later; right now he wanted to find Raph.

            Going straight to his brother’s room, Don rapped lightly on the door and then a little harder when he didn’t get an answer.  When still nothing happened, Don called out, “Raph!  _Raph_!  Open up!”

            He was just about to barge into the room when he heard the sound of Leo’s door opening and spun around.  It wasn’t Leo who stepped out though, it was Raph.

            Right away Don noticed that Raph wasn’t wearing his mask; he was holding it, and his belt was on crooked.  The implications of that sent an icy chill down his spine and he snapped, “We need to talk.”

            Very slowly, Raph tied his mask back into place and straightened his belt, his eyes speculative as he studied Don.  Walking past the genius, Raph opened the door to his room and waved Don inside.

            As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Don asked, “What do you two think you’re doing?  Have you lost your mind?  What would Master Splinter say?  Do you want to tear our family apart?  I won’t have this!”

            Raph’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step towards his irate brother.  “ _You_ won’t have this?  Just who do you think you are?”

            “I’m your brother,” Don barked, “and apparently the only one with any common sense around here.  I am not going to stand back and watch you two . . . you two _do_ that.”

            Taking another step forward, Raph asked in as menacing a tone as Don had ever heard from him, “Are you challenging me?”


	75. 75. Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,875  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The look in Raph’s eyes and the tone of his voice was a warning that Don was treading on very dangerous ground.

            A physical altercation with Raph was a bad idea; Don was weaponless and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.  In such a small space as Raph’s bedroom, the bo staff’s reach wouldn’t have done him much good.

            “Before you start calling me out on my behavior Donatello, maybe you should take a look in a mirror,” Raph said.

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” Don asked, suddenly feeling leery.

            Raph jabbed a finger towards the lair.  “You and Casey and April, that’s what I mean,” he said harshly.  “You’ve been panting after April from the minute you saw her and then Casey starts to pay you a little attention and you act like you’re in heat.”

            “I do not!” Don exclaimed indignantly.  He could feel the color rising on his face.  “I’ve been trying to stay away from him because every time he talks to me you get bent out of shape.  I thought it was because you two had something going but I finally figured out it was because you were using him to make Leo jealous.  That’s a great use of a friendship, by the way.”

            “Don’t you start telling me about friends,” Raph growled.  “Casey listened to me when I didn’t have anyone else I could talk to and he volunteered to help me.  I didn’t ask him for anything.”

            Don was so stunned he almost couldn’t get the words out.  “He volunteered?  To help you get with Leo?”

            Unexpectedly Raph seemed to grow cautious, retreating into himself as he warily asked, “Spit it out genius, just what exactly are you accusing me of doing?”

            “Accusing . . . .” Don spluttered, unable to believe that Raph was making an attempt to cover it up.  Deepening his voice, he mimicked Raph.  “ _’Oh Leo, all I can think about is us being together.  Are we gonna go to the next level with this thing_?’  Come on Raph, I’m not blind or deaf.”

            “Damn,” Raph cursed in a low voice.  “Leo said you didn’t hear that.”

            “I told him I didn’t hear it because I didn’t want to freak him out,” Don said, “and I didn’t want to believe what I thought you two were saying.  Then I see you come out of his room and you’re all . . . all _disheveled_.  This is impossible!”

            “More impossible than you chasing after both April and Casey?” Raph asked.  “Maybe you’re the one who ain’t got his head screwed on right.”

            “Neither of them is my _brother_!” Don nearly shouted, trying to drive his point home.

            “Why should that chap your butt?” Raph asked.  “Why should anything we do even be any of your business?”

            Don felt himself growing more agitated again.  “How are we supposed to be a balanced team if the two of you are intimate?  How is that good for our family?  You two don’t treat Mikey and I as equals already, how much worse is it going to get?”

            “Don’t hand me that,” Raph snarled.  “Even you acknowledged that Leo and I are the better fighters.  Our team works because we know what our strengths are.  I was just razzing you when I called you the B team and you know it.”

            “How do I know it?” Don snapped.  “Was it all the times I pulled our shells out of a mess and you said thank you?  Oh wait, you never say thank you, I forgot.  All you ever want is more.”

            “Are you calling me selfish?” Raph asked, taking a step towards Don.  His hands curled into fists.  “Somehow I’m selfish but you’re the guy who’s chasing April’s tail and leading Casey on.”

            “I’m not doing either of those things!” Don protested furiously.

            “Go ahead and tell me you ain’t got the hots for Casey,” Raph said.  “Go ahead and try to lie to me.  You thought I had a thing for him didn’t you?  Was that what made you want him?  You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself because you thought he wanted me.  Talk about selfish.”

            “You two were putting on a show to make Leo believe you were together so of course I thought that too,” Don said with exasperation.  “He’s the one who wouldn’t back off even after I told him I wouldn’t do that to my brother.”

            “So now what, Don?” Raph asked.  “You got it all figured out and see the playing field is wide open?  You put that big brain of yours to work so you can arrange things to where you get with April _and_ Casey?  It’s okay for you to have two but me and Leo don’t get anything?”

            “You can have anything you want,” Don said.  “The world’s out there waiting.  We found April and Casey and I’m sure there are others who’d be just as interested in us.”

            “What if the only thing I want is Leo?”  Raph laughed bitterly.  “Sure I knew that Casey was into guys ‘cause I knew I was.  If that’s all I wanted I could have hooked up with him, but I never did want him that way.  He’s a friend and a damn good one who I don’t want to lose.  You want to come off all high and mighty over me and Leo but you ain’t even being honest with yourself.  Do you swing both ways, Don?  Do you have feelings for Casey?”

            Don thought for a minute that Raph was trying to change the subject, but the steadfast look in his eyes told a different story.  Glad for a moment where the air wasn’t charged with acrimony, Don decided to clear something up between the two of them.

            “He came out and told me he likes me that way,” Don admitted.  “It was when I said I wasn’t going to come between you two.  I wouldn’t accept it for a long time because I know I’m in love with April.  But being with him in the TCRI building and having to fight to escape, I . . .  I might be starting to feel something for him.”

            Don half expected that his brother would smash his head in, but all Raph said was, “You better be sure of your feelings ‘cause I don’t want you chasing Casey off by breaking his heart.”

            “Isn’t that exactly what you’re tempting by pursuing this thing with Leo?” Don asked, unable to let it go.

            “Leo and me are in a different situation,” Raph insisted.  “We’ve never wanted anything more than to just be together.”

            “How can you be sure?  How can you know that Leo isn’t doing this because he thinks it’s what you need?  Maybe you guilt tripped him into it, or coerced him by making him think you’ll do something crazy if he doesn’t do what you want,” Don said.

            The momentary calmness was gone as Raph’s expression shifted back to anger.  He shot forward and grabbed Don by his chest strap, yanking him forward, his other hand balled into a tight fist which hovered directly in front of Don’s face.

            “Shut up!  You don’t say that ‘cause you don’t know anything!” Raph shouted into Don’s face.

            Don pushed at his brother, his hands flat on Raph’s plastron but it had little effect on his brother’s stance.  “This is a prime example of what I was saying; you’re trying to intimidate me into siding with you.  I’m not scared of you, Raph.  Someone needs to make you step back and look at what you’re doing.  If I have to fight you to make you think straight then I’ll do it.”

            “If you ain’t scared of me do you really think that Fearless is?” Raph practically bellowed.  “He ain’t scared of anything, least of all telling me how he really feels.”

            Jerking free of his brother’s hold, Don said, “I never said Leo was scared _of_ you, I said he was scared _for_ you.  You can’t tell me you haven’t had doubts.  If you didn’t you wouldn’t be so angry with me for trying to talk to you about this.  You chose to use Casey to trick Leo into admitting to something but maybe your tricks just made him say what you wanted to hear.  You kept going out of your way to make Leo think you were going to break away from your family, maybe he’s giving you what you want just to get you to stay.”

            “It’s not like that with us,” Raph said adamantly.  “Our feelings for each other are real.  I ain’t a fool, I know we were raised as brothers and I love all of you as brothers.  Shell, I’d die for any of you.  I just can’t help how I feel about Leo.  I know he feels the same and the only reason he wouldn’t say it is ‘cause he’s too honor bound.  Casey said he’d help me get Leo to stop dodging the issue.  That’s all we were doing.  If I’d asked Leo right out he’d have said he never wanted to be with me that way and then Mr. Honor Bound would have had to stick to his word and I’d be screwed.  All I was doing was finding a way to get the truth out of him.”

            “Then why do you two think you have to hide your feelings?” Don asked.  “Why couldn’t you just talk it through and then go to sensei for his advice?  Why are you coming out of Leo’s room with your gear in disarray after doing stuff you feel too ashamed of to do out in the open?”

            “Leo’s not the demonstrative type,” Raph said, his voice lower.  The words lacked the fervor that Raph had exhibited earlier, almost as if he wasn’t sure of them.

            “Neither am I, but if April wanted to kiss me if front of the whole world I’d sing about it,” Don said.

            “You ain’t nothing like Leo!” Raph suddenly shouted.

            Don could see his brother was working up to another rage and decided that he’d given him enough to think about.  “If you don’t quiet down, Leo’s going to hear you and want to know what we were fighting about.  How do you think he’d react if he thought this thing with you two was adversely affecting the family?”

            “I’m way past the point of no return with Leo,” Raph said.  “No matter what you say, I ain’t giving him up.”

            Sliding past his brother, Don waited until he’d turned the handle on the door before responding.  “You aren’t the only one with a say in this.”

            He exited quickly, happy he’d managed to escape Raph’s room with all of his parts intact.  Don was also relieved to see that his brother wasn’t coming after him and quietly pulled the door closed.

            Head down, Don took a second to inhale deeply and then release some of the stress leftover from his altercation.  His exhaustion came back in full force and he decided it was time to get some sleep.

            Turning away from Raph’s door, Don looked up to find Leo standing there staring at him, his face expressionless.


	76. 76. Broken Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,884  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: R for ideologically sensitive adult concepts

            For the first time that night, Don questioned his headlong rush into the middle of Raph and Leo’s business.

            His older brother didn’t say a word, merely gazing at Don through eyes that seemed to glow with a neon blue intensity.  Leo was wearing nothing; his weapons, gear, and mask gone.

            Don wasn’t used to seeing his brother like this anymore.  Since Leo had become leader he never walked around without his gear.  Somehow being ‘naked’ made Leo appear more open and vulnerable; younger than his years.  Perhaps that was why Leo’s habits had changed, if he wanted to garner respect, he had to look mature.

            The silent tableau held for another minute before Leo turned and walked back into his own room, leaving the door open.  It didn’t require genius to understand the implication; Leo wanted to talk.  Though Don would have liked to scoot on past and seek the refuge of his room, he knew better than to try to dodge his oldest brother.

            Heart hammering in his chest and his throat suddenly too dry, Don accepted Leo’s silent invitation.  Stepping into Leo’s room, he carefully closed the door behind himself, noting that unlike Raph, the turtle leader chose not to put Don in a position of feeling trapped.

            Leo’s room was very clean in comparison to his brother’s.  Every one of his possessions had a place and were never scattered haphazardly about.  Usually the space smelled like whichever scented candle Leo had managed to get his hands on and tonight was no different, but beneath that Don caught the faint smell of something else, something muskier.

            The bed was mussed, the sheets and blanket tangled at the foot of the mattress and Don looked away from it quickly.  He didn’t know how far Raph and Leo had gone tonight, but the clues his senses provided him with and the fact that Raph had said he was past the point of no return gave Don a pretty good idea.

            Leo stood on the far side of the room, his eyes never leaving Don.  He made no attempt to hide anything and Don knew he’d seen the younger turtle’s glance towards the bed.

            It became apparent after the silence dragged on that Leo expected Don to say something first.  Clearing his throat, Don asked, “How much of that did you hear?”

            “All of it,” Leo replied, his voice low and even.

            Don’s brow furrowed.  “Why didn’t you come in?”

            “And make you feel as though we were ganging up on you?” Leo asked.  “You had something to say to Raphael and I wanted you to say it.”

            “Then you know my opinion on the subject,” Don said, pulling himself up to his full height.  “I can understand Raph going headlong into something, but this . . . this choice you two have made isn’t well thought out.”

            “So then you believe our wanting to be together is a decision, like whether or not we want to eat jelly bean pizza?” Leo asked, his eyes widening slightly.

            Don had the distinct feeling he was being cornered.  It was one he often got when sparring with Leo.  Although Don was mentally adroit, Leo had an uncanny ability to always be one step ahead of his opponent.

            “Isn’t it?” Don asked.  “I fully understand that our options are limited, but going this route borders on a desperation that isn’t necessary.  It’s just hormones, Leo.  If you two want to experiment a little and see what things are like then that’s completely normal.  You just have to keep in mind how far is too far.”

            “Play around but don’t make commitments, right?  Make sure that there are no real feelings involved,” Leo said, his voice still smooth as silk.

            “You can’t possibly love each other that way, it isn’t what brothers do,” Don said, knowing that refrain sounded repetitive.

            “The fact that we’re turtles notwithstanding,” Leo said, “I suppose it’s the kind of thing that would upset our human friends.”

            “It’s not just that,” Don said, holding his hands out as he strove to express himself.  “You have to know that continuing a relationship with Raph could lead to a change in the dynamics of our family.”

            Leo said nothing for a moment, and then asked, “How long do you suppose that Raph and I have been drawn to each other?”

            Taken aback by the question, Don answered, “I have no idea.”

            “Do you suppose we argue and challenge each other because we have fundamentally differing viewpoints?” Leo asked.

            Once more Don felt he needed to be cautious.  “Not always.  I’d say you do have differences of opinion on some things.”

            Leo nodded, accepting that.  “Would you say we were complete opposites?”

            “No.”  Don pressed his lips together and then said, “The truth is that you two are probably very much alike it’s just that Raph tends to be more rash.”

            “I knew I felt differently about Raph ever since we were eight,” Leo said.  “I didn’t understand it at the time, all I knew was that he was the one I wanted to practice against when we sparred and that he was the one I wanted to play with during free time.  As we got older it was Raph who brought out my competitive streak and made me want to be better.

            “I used to think that Raph baited me just to get me angry, that he bested me to show off to Master Splinter, that he resented my efforts to perfect my skill when he’s so obviously as good or better a fighter.  It was none of those things; Raph just wanted my attention.  After so many years I finally realized that he cared for me the same way that I cared for him.”

            “That still doesn’t make it right,” Don argued stubbornly.

            “What will?” Leo asked, his quiet voice holding an intensity that froze Donatello.  “What is your basis for pronouncing that what Raph and I have is wrong?  It is moral?  You should research the tenants on incest Donnie, because none of them apply.  Is it societal?  We don’t belong to human society or hadn’t you noticed that?  Just because we mutated into what we are now doesn’t erase the fact that we were hatched as turtles.  I think you know as well as I do that a turtle’s mating habits aren’t the same as a humans.”

            “Everything you’re saying is a justification,” Don said.  “It wouldn’t fall so glibly from your mouth if you hadn’t had doubts about it.”

            “Are you gay, Donatello?” Leo asked suddenly.

            “Wha . . . what?” Don stammered.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

            “A simple no would suffice,” Leo said smoothly.  “Or haven’t you made that choice yet?”

            “Being gay isn’t a choice,” Don said hotly.  “Science has gone a long way in proving that certain genetic markers determine sexual orientation.”

            “The same type of genetic markers that predispose our selection in a mate?” Leo asked.

            Don blinked rapidly, realizing that he’d stepped into a trap.  “It’s not . . . that isn’t what I meant . . . .”

            “You said that Raph and I made a conscious choice in our attraction,” Leo said.  “You said I could decide not to be with him and it would be just as easy as flicking the pepperoni off of my pizza.  If it’s a choice, then why haven’t you chosen to tell Casey that you only like women?  Wouldn’t it make your life a whole lot simpler?”

            “How did you know about Casey?” Don asked, flustered by Leo’s questions.

            Leo snorted a laugh.  “It’s been obvious for some time that he’s had his eyes on you.  His attraction to you put a dent in Raph’s plans to get me to wake up, but not enough to erase my jealousy at seeing them together.  It actually helped Raph’s cause because I had to show my hand by asking you to keep Casey distracted.”

            “You thought he wanted to be with both of us?” Don asked incredulously.

            “I did until Raph finally explained that he was never attracted to Casey like that and the feeling was mutual.  Casey wants you and you want April, isn’t that right?  If this is as easy as making a choice, then why haven’t you?  Don’t try to say you have because then Casey wouldn’t be hanging around here still.”

            “He likes April too,” Don blurted out.

            Leo pounced on that.  “Does that mean you’re leading him on so he doesn’t pursue April?  That isn’t very honorable, Donatello.”

            “I’m not leading him on,” Don insisted.  “I love April, she’s a part of me.”

            “And I love Raph,” Leo said softly.  “He’s more than a part of me, he’s my other half.  I’ve denied it for far too long and I’m not going to do that anymore.  In all these years my feelings for him have never affected the rest of the family or my ability to lead our team and they never will.  If that’s your primary concern, then banish the thought.  I don’t think it is though, I think you’re using my relationship with Raph as a distraction from your real problem.”

            “My . . . real problem?” Don asked in a small voice.

            Leo moved closer to him, watching Don intently.  “You have a fixed idea about romantic love.  You’re listening to your mind rather than your instincts and being a turtle is very much about instincts.  I forgot that until Raph helped me to remember.  Your instincts are tied directly to your heart, Don.  What do your instincts tell you about your relationship with April and Casey?”

            Don looked away from his brother, his mind churning.  Was Leo right, was it possible that Don had jumped into a battle with Leo and Raph over their burgeoning relationship in order to exert some kind of control into his own life?  The kind of control he couldn’t seem to manage over his own feelings?

            “I’m so tired,” Don murmured, unable to think clearly.

            Leo closed the distance between them in order to grip his shoulder reassuringly.  Giving it a compassionate squeeze, he turned Donatello towards the door.  “Go to bed, Donnie,” he said.  “You haven’t been getting enough sleep.”

            Don allowed his brother to lead him into the hall and then walked a few steps in the direction of his own room when Leo gave him a gentle push.  From the corner of his eye he saw Leo turn towards Raph’s door.

            “Are you going back to him tonight?” Don asked, his voice non-judgmental.

            “Yes,” Leo said.  “I have a feeling you left behind some broken pieces when you argued with him.  I have to help Raph put them back together again.  He needs me the way that I need him; the way I’ve always needed him.”

            Without another word Leo disappeared into Raph’s room.  Don swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and shuffled slowly towards his own room, relieved to see no one else about.

            Don didn’t bother to turn on a light as he made a straight course for his bed.  It wasn’t until he was practically on top of it that he noticed Casey Jones was already sitting there.


	77. 77. Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,298  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 yaoi

            For a minute Don’s vision doubled, then trebled, his stomach knotting up and the room starting to spin.  All he wanted to do was go to sleep; he simply couldn’t deal with anything more.

            He didn’t realize that his knees had started to buckle until Casey sprang up from the bed and wrapped his sinewy arms around Don to keep the turtle from hitting the floor.

            “Whoa there, Donnie,” Casey murmured in a soothing tone.  “Come on, ya’ need to lie down.”

            All Don could do was groan in agreement.  Holding firmly to Don with one arm, Casey yanked the covers back and then helped the tall turtle into bed.

            With his head cradled against the pillow, the room started to slow down and finally stopped spinning altogether.  Don warily opened his eyes and was relieved to see that there was only one of everything again.  Unfortunately, that still included Casey.

            “This must be some kind of test,” Don muttered tiredly.  He imagined himself in one of the old cartoons he used to watch, where the characters chased one another from room to room until they all finally collided in a long hallway.

            Don could feel a hysterical giggle threatening to bust loose, but swallowed it when Casey’s hands touched his legs.

            “Calm down,” Casey said when he felt Don jerk under him.  “I’m taking your kneepads and ankle wrappings off so ya’ can get comfortable.”

            “I can undress without your help,” Don said without much vigor.

            “Ya’ can’t even stand up anymore,” Casey told him.

            “Weren’t you going to check on your mother?” Don asked, as he felt Casey slide each of his kneepads off in turn.

            “I did, she’s asleep,” Casey said, removing the ankle bindings.

            “April?”  Don murmured, not so much as twitching when Casey worked off his elbow pads.

            “We met up with Mikey and Irma after leaving my ma,” Casey said.  “April suggested that Irma call her parents and tell them she was sleeping over.  They’re gonna bed down in April’s room here.  Much as Irma drives me nuts it’s a good idea ‘cause everyone’s too tired to try and get her back home.  Mikey seemed to like it just fine; he trailed along behind the two girls.”

            Casey quietly chuckled at the memory and as tired as he was, Don couldn’t help but respond with a smile.  It was good to know he hadn’t imagined that Mikey was taken with Irma.

            Don’s smile didn’t linger for long as he focused on the foremost question in his mind.  “Why didn’t you go to bed?”

            Without looking up, Casey said, “Don’t freak out, I’m taking your belt off now.”

            “Fine,” Don muttered, too tired to worry about where Casey’s hands were.

            After a minute, Casey said in a low voice, “I was afraid you’d go into your lab and start working on something instead of getting some sleep.  When I didn’t see ya’ there, I checked your room and found it empty.  Waiting here seemed like my best bet for meeting up with ya’.  I was gonna give ya’ a time limit to get your cute butt to bed and then I was gonna hunt ya’ down and do it for ya’.”

            That stirred up Don’s ire enough for him to say, “What makes you think you get to tell me what to do?”

            “I don’t,” Casey said, finally looking into Don’s eyes.  With a sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove the bindings on the turtle’s wrists.  “Ya’ had a rough night, Donnie.  Ya’ got kidnapped by the Kraang, had to bust out of their stronghold, and got knocked out twice.”

            “All of that happened to you too,” Don pointed out.

            “I only got knocked out once,” Casey said with a grin.  Then in a more serious voice, he said, “Ya’ didn’t get much sleep while ya’ were working on a way to take out that mind control device and I wasn’t any help.  I got my shorts in a twist over something ya’ said even though the only reason ya’ said it was because I was acting stupid.  So sue me; I feel guilty and I’m trying to make it up to you.”

            “By playing nurse maid?” Don asked.

            “Hey, let’s not get too kinky here, I don’t do dress up,” Casey quipped, garnering a snort of sarcastic amusement from the turtle.

            “So says the guy who had pillows stuffed in his trousers,” Don said.

            “Ya’ should’ve kept that gown, ya’ got the legs for it,” Casey told him, grinning when Don rolled his eyes.

            A thought struck Don then and he said, “Do you feel comfortable taking your mom home soon?  She can’t stay down here indefinitely and she’s not in any danger from the Kraang now.”

            “Ya’ think it’s safe?” Casey asked.  “They won’t go after her?”

            “They were using the mind control devices to track people,” Don answered.  “Without it they don’t know her from any other city inhabitant.  She’ll be better off in her own home; here we’d have to keep feeding her sedatives and I don’t like to do that.”

            “Okay,” Casey said, nodding.  “I’ll see how she’s feeling tomorrow and then take her home during the day.  I just gotta figure out how to get her out of the sewers since she thinks she’s at April’s place.”

            “We could . . . .” Don began.

            “ _Tomorrow_ ,” Casey stressed, cutting off whatever idea Don was about to present.

            “It’s already tomorrow,” Don said with a sigh.

            “Yeah, and ya’ should’ve been asleep an hour ago.”  He leaned over to reach behind Don’s head and began untying the turtle’s mask.  In a softer voice, he asked, “Why’d ya’ feel like ya’ had to talk to Raph tonight?”

            “You knew?” Don asked as Casey slipped the mask off his face.

            “I heard your voices when I was trying to find ya’,” Casey admitted.  “Then I remembered how ya’ were so excited to get home after talking to Mikey and I put two and two together.  The expression on your face when Mikey mentioned Leo and Raph was a dead giveaway.”

            “They’re together,” Don blurted out, his voice quivering slightly.

            “And ya’ don’t know how to feel about that, do ya’?” Casey asked, showing more insight than Don would have ever given him credit for.

            “I . . . thought I did,” Don admitted.  “You weren’t the only one that heard us; Leo caught me in the hall after I talked to Raph.  Now I don’t know what to think.”

            Casey cupped Don’s cheek and held the turtle’s eyes with his own.  “Why don’t ya’ stop thinking about it and go to sleep?  Even a genius’ brain has to rest sometime.”

            Don couldn’t help but smile at Casey’s gentle tone.  “You’re pretty wise for a crazy human.”

            “I’m full of surprises, Donnie,” Casey said, leaning down to press a kiss to the turtle’s mouth.  Straightening, he added, “It’s my way of making sure ya’ don’t get bored with me.”

            “Bored wasn’t a word I would ever have chosen to describe you,” Don said, watching Casey stand up.  He was surprised that Casey seemed to be leaving.  “Are you sleeping on the couch?”

            Casey laughed.  “I don’t wanna take advantage of your exhaustion by offering to sleep with ya’,” he said, “as tempting as that is.”

            Don blushed, causing Casey to give him a cocky grin.  Casey watched him for another minute, waiting for Don’s eyes to grow heavy, and then headed for the door.

            Just as he was stepping out of the room, Don murmured, “I’ll bet I can figure out how to get you to dress up.”

            Don fell asleep and missed the astonished expression on Casey’s face.


	78. 78. Drink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,389  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 het

            A sound penetrated Don’s subconscious mind and pulled him from a dreamless sleep.  Groggy, he stared up at the ceiling for a minute before remembering that he was home.

            Someone tapped lightly on his door and he realized that must have been what woke him.

            “I’m up!” Don called out, thinking it was a reminder that he needed to report to practice.

            He was just starting to stir when the door opened slightly and April peeked into his room.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” April said contritely.

            “What time is it?” Don asked, looking around for his clock.

            “After eleven,” April said, coming into the room.

            Don noticed she was balancing a tray of food as she closed the door.  Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Don swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, watching April place the tray on his bedside table.

            “Master Splinter cancelled practice, he knew everyone would be tired after last night,” April explained.

            “Am I the last one up?” Don asked.

            April nodded as she sat down next to him.  “Yes.  Mikey was the first one out of bed and when Irma heard him singing in the kitchen she got up too.  She helped him make breakfast.”  With a laugh she added, “I didn’t even know she liked to cook.”

            Don smiled.  “It’s Mikey’s enthusiasm; it can be contagious.”

            “Irma likes him,” April said simply.  “After he left us last night she couldn’t stop talking about him.  I fell asleep while she was still going on about how cute and funny he is.”

            “He likes her too,” Don said.  “I could tell.”

            “Everybody in her family is so serious that I think it’s refreshing for her to know someone who can make her laugh,” April said thoughtfully.  “It’s an opposites attract sort of thing.”

            She blushed a little as she said that and Don immediately knew she wasn’t just talking about Mikey and Irma.

            Clearing his throat, Don said, “Thanks for the special delivery breakfast.”

            Coming back to herself, April giggled.  “I knew if I didn’t get something for you there wouldn’t be any food left.  You haven’t had anything to eat or drink since before you guys went on your mission.”

            Don took a sip of the orange juice she’d brought, appreciating its cool slide down his throat.  It also helped him to feel less self-conscious about his morning breath so he swallowed some more.

            “That hits the spot,” Don said, setting the glass back down and picking up the plate.  “Is this an omelet?  It’s huge!”

            “Don’t ask me what all is in it,” April said.  “It’s delicious but filling.  I could only eat half of mine.  Raph and Casey started fighting over the other half and that’s when I knew I’d better grab one for you.”

            Don took a bite and his tongue immediately did a happy dance inside his mouth.  “Mikey outdid himself.”

            April watched as Don ate some more of the fluffy vegetable filled concoction and then said, “I think when you’re really happy is shows in the things you do.  Like with Mikey’s cooking and how relaxed Casey seems this morning.  I don’t think it’s just because his mom can go home today either.”

            Glancing up, Don saw that April was staring at him expectantly.  “What else could it be?” he asked lamely.

            April’s lips turned up at the corners.  “I saw Casey looking for you last night when Irma, Mikey and I were on our way to my room.  When Irma opened the door to her apartment I caught a glimpse of Casey with his arm around you.  You’ll remember that I told you I was getting a strange vibe from him whenever you’re nearby.  If you’ll pardon the sports analogy, Casey swings both ways, doesn’t he?”

            The bite of food he’d been chewing shot down the wrong way as Don swallowed too quickly.  Choking and coughing, he grabbed the water bottle off the table and took a long drink from it.  April, her expression contemplative, gently patted his shell as Don tried to get himself back under control.

            “April, I can explain . . . .” Don began, his voice raspy and eyes watering slightly as he looked at her.

            Lifting a hand to his face, April leaned into him and pressed her lips to his mouth.  Stunned, it took him a second to kiss back and when she showed no signs of moving, he hastily shifted the plate off his lap and wrapped an arm around her narrow waist.

            With a low moan, April slid her hand off of his shell so that she could curve her arm around his neck.  Emboldened, Don opened his mouth so that he could flick his tongue against her lips.

            April responded eagerly, her lips parting and her tongue reaching for his as soon as it made its entry.  In that second Don gave a silent thanks to Casey for showing him how to French kiss, and then all thoughts of the boy or anything else left his mind.

            Nothing in his life had ever tasted as sweet as April’s mouth did; nothing as soft as her body pressed against his.  All of his fantasies about this moment paled in comparison to the real thing.

            A soft churr vibrated his chest and April moaned again, pushing her breasts against his plastron.  Don could feel the round firmness of them through the hard plates and lifted his hand from the bed where he’d been bracing himself in order to flatten it between her shoulder blades to pull her closer still.

            April’s hand slipped from his face onto his bicep and her small fingers curved around it.  Their kiss had gone from gentle to fiery and Don could feel his control falling away.

            With a shudder and a gasp, April pulled out of the kiss, a becoming redness painting her flushed skin.  Neither of them relinquished their hold on each other and for a moment they simply stared into each other’s eyes.

            “That’s all the explanation I need,” April whispered.  “I purposely kissed Casey in front of you for a reason, Donnie.  By the time we got to the laundry room I thought I’d figured something out and it was my way of proving it to myself.  The first chance he got he asked about you.  I think he likes me but he obviously couldn’t take his mind off of you even when I kissed him.  The fact that you two fell into each other’s arms as soon as you were out of my sight tells me you like him too.”

            “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Don said, his voice low.  “All I’ve ever thought about was you.”

            April smiled.  “Your kiss tells me the truth of that.  The next question we have to ask ourselves is what do we do about this?  I like you, but I also like Casey.  He likes me but seems to have it bad for you too.  You care for me and for Casey.  How do we handle this problem?”

            Don was saved from having to come up with an immediate answer when his door suddenly swung open.  Neither he nor April had a chance to disentangle themselves before Mikey burst into the room.

            “Whoops!” Mikey exclaimed, his bright eyes shining as they darted from Don to April and back again.  “Sorry!”

            Pulling away from April, Don asked irritably.  “What is it, Mikey?”

            Smiling widely, Mikey said, “Mr. O’Neil is looking for you, D.  I figured you’d prefer he didn’t find April in your room so I volunteered to see if you were still asleep.”

            Don’s annoyance faded swiftly as he realized the huge favor Mikey had just done for him.  Standing, Don scooped up his gear, pulling it on as he crossed the room to join his brother.

            Looking back at April, who was still sitting on the bed, Don said, “Give me a couple of minutes to get your dad’s attention before you leave, okay?”

            “Of course,” April agreed.  “I’ll join you in a little bit.”

            Her smile was as refreshing as a cool drink was to a thirsty man lost in the desert.  There was a very distinctive bounce to Don’s step as he left the room.


	79. 79. Starvation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,173  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don walked in silence alongside Mikey for a couple of minutes, though he surreptitiously eyed his brother.  Mikey wore such a complacent expression on his face that it was nearly insufferable.

            As much as he hated giving Mikey the satisfaction, Don felt compelled to speak.  “Thanks, Mikey.”

            Mikey glanced at him and grinned.  “No sweat, bro’.  Just doing my part.”

            Don wanted to ask him what part that was exactly, but he didn’t get the chance as they came out into the main section of the lair and found Casey and Raph waiting for them.

            Casey tossed a bo staff at Don, who caught it deftly.  “I told Master Splinter ya’ wrecked your other one getting us out of the TCRI building,” Casey said.  “For some reason, he’s got a lot of these on wall racks in his room.”

            Mikey snickered.   “I can’t imagine why,” Mikey said despite the dirty look Don shot in his direction.

            Raph hadn’t said anything since Don walked into the room.  When Don looked at him, the red banded turtle stared back defiantly, though not with overt hostility.  Don had a feeling that whatever assurances Leo had given Raph must have calmed his hot headed brother somewhat.  He was also fairly positive that Raph and Casey must have spent a little time in conversation as well.

            “Ah Donatello, there you are,” Mr. O’Neil said, coming out of his room.  “Casey and I are in agreement that his mother should go home today.  She’s getting restless and I can’t continue to drug her with sedatives to keep her from discovering where she really is.”

            “If we sedate Mrs. Jones in order to move her, she’s going to wonder how she got home,” Don said.  “She’ll worry that something serious is wrong with her.”

            “You have the makings of a good psychiatrist,” Mr. O’Neil said with a smile.  “Actually I was thinking that this would be an appropriate time to use hypnosis.  I’m a licensed hypnotherapist and Mrs. Jones won’t be a difficult subject.  The reason I asked for you is because I need to know if anything about the way the mind control device worked would preclude the use of hypnosis.”

            Don thought over the question, aware of Casey’s intense gaze on him.  Finally Don said, “If I remember correctly about what I’ve read of hypnosis, it works on the subconscious mind, in the area of imagination and focus.  It basically relaxes the subject enough to make the conscious mind relinquish control to the subconscious, the way that we do during meditation.”

            “Yes, that is the simplest way to describe it,” Mr. O’Neil said.

            “Then I don’t believe you’ll have any problem,” Don said.  “The Kraang’s device took over the brain’s higher functions through sensory input.  Hypnosis is more like opening a control panel in the brain and feeding in a set of sub-routines.  Even supposing her mind is still trying to recover from the ‘bruising’ to the neuro pathways, hypnosis works in a different area of the brain.”

            “How are you gonna get her out of here once she’s hypnotized?” Raph asked, speaking for the first time.

            “Casey and I will walk with her to a spot where we can climb out of the tunnels,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “Afterwards we’ll grab a taxi and go back to their apartment.  Once we’re there I can plant the suggestion that will make her believe she came home directly from my place.  She won’t remember a thing about the lair or the sewers.”

            “I’m going with you,” April announced as she walked towards them.  Leo was with her and Don wondered if they’d stopped to talk.

            “Honey, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Mr. O’Neil said.  “I was planning on checking in with my practice so I can make sure my patients are doing well with their interim therapists.  I wasn’t going to come back here tonight.”

            “Don destroyed the mind control tech so there aren’t any Kraang spies to worry about,” April said stubbornly.  “I understand that we still need to be cautious, but I’d like to go home and grab a few things before I come back down.  Besides, we have to get Irma home.”

            “I’d love to stay, but my parents will worry,” Irma said.  Don hadn’t noticed her arrival, but now saw that Mikey was seated on the couch next to her.

            “I should spend the night at home with my Ma,” Casey said, glancing over at Don.  “Just to keep an eye on her and make sure everything’s back to normal.”

            “Leo and I can walk with them,” Raph offered abruptly.  “We can wait for April and make sure she gets back here okay.”

            It was obvious to Don that the offer was partially self-serving; Raph knew that alone time with his oldest brother was at a premium.  After the intense discussions that Don had with both Raph and Leo, the hot head probably required some assurances that Leo was still with him.

            In the lean years of their youth the family had faced many obstacles, not the least of which was starvation.  Don knew the look well and could swear he saw that same expression of desperate need on Raph’s face as he waited for Leo’s answer.

            Leo’s countenance was very nearly unreadable as he looked first at Don and then back to Raph.  “I think that would be a good plan.  I’m sure Donatello will be thankful for a chance to catch up on his rest and he’s certainly done enough these last few days.”

            The double meaning in Leo’s words was not lost on Don and he refrained from offering to accompany them.  He was a little surprised that Mikey hadn’t piped up to say he wanted to go so that he could spend more time with Irma, but apparently the youngest brother was still up to his old tricks.

            Don could almost feel the weight in the air as Raph and Leo waited to see how he’d respond.  Casey was looking at him expectantly, and April had begun to sense the tension, her eyes darting from Don to Leo.

            “Actually I need to straighten up my lab,” Don said.  “It’s kind of a mess at the moment and I don’t know where anything is.”

            From the corner of his eye, Don saw Mikey break into a wide grin.  Raph’s entire body seemed to relax and he nodded at Don.

            Mr. O’Neil and Casey turned towards Mrs. Jones’ room, obviously ready to start the hypnosis.  Don thought about going directly to his lab, but then realized he might never have an opportunity to witness someone being hypnotized, so he turned to follow Casey.

            “Donatello,” Master Splinter called out, appearing suddenly.  “I would like a moment of your time.”

            Nearly stumbling as he came to a stop, Don turned around to see a stern expression on his father’s face.  Heart thrumming and with a great deal of trepidation, Don walked towards him.

            “Of course sensei,” Don said.


	80. 80. Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,819  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don glanced over at his siblings as he followed Master Splinter.  Mikey was deep in conversation with Irma and apparently oblivious to everything else.  Meanwhile, Leo and Raph had moved over to the pinball machine and were doing rock, paper, scissors to determine who would go first.

            There was a mild sense of dread at the back of Don’s mind as he entered his father’s room and knelt at the table as Master Splinter directed him to do.  For a moment Master Splinter stood looking down at him as though trying to read something in his son’s expression.

            With a sigh, Master Splinter kneeled at the opposite side of the table.  Don immediately felt more at ease since his father only lectured from a standing position.

            “Donatello,” Master Splinter began, “I am very proud of what you accomplished last night.  Your ingenuity saved the lives of many people and put an end to the latest of the Kraang’s evil schemes.”

            “Thank you father,” Don said, beaming at the praise.

            “Mr. O’Neil has been most outspoken in his accolades,” Master Splinter continued.  “His assessment of your intellect corresponds with my own.  You have a unique and fine mind, one that perhaps has no equal.”

            Don could feel his cheeks growing red.  His father had always acknowledged Don’s advanced mental capabilities, but it was different hearing the same thing from someone outside your own family.

            “I had a lot of help,” Don said quickly.

            Master Splinter smiled.  “I am gratified by your humility, though I feel I must correct you.  You had assistance in the implementation of your plan, the engineering and ideas were yours alone.”

            “Ideas aren’t much good without a way to carry them out,” Don said.

            “And that is why I will continue to stress the importance of team work,” Master Splinter said.  “I must admit to some misgivings when you four left on this latest mission.  I have witnessed some tension between you and your brothers as of late and worried that would interfere with your ability to work together.”

            “We’ve just had some normal differences of opinion,” Don said by way of explanation.

            “Do these differences have something to do with Casey Jones?” Master Splinter asked.

            The question was abrupt and unexpected enough to take Don by surprise since he’d started to believe their conversation would focus around he and his brothers.  Caught off guard, Don floundered speechless for a moment, his father watching him like a hawk.

            “Why do you ask about Casey?” Don asked carefully once he’d recovered the ability to form words.

            “Donatello,” Master Splinter said with just a hint of a smile curving his mouth.  “I am not blind nor am I deaf.  Casey came into this home as a friend of April’s and soon formed a friendship with your brother Raphael.  They are very much alike.  I have noted how Casey’s attention began to drift in your direction mainly because of the effect that had on your brother.  While I do not believe that one can claim sole ownership of a personal friend, I would like assurances that you have done nothing to purposely diminish Raphael’s connection to Casey.”

            “I haven’t!” Don exclaimed defensively.  After pausing a second, he said more calmly, “Honestly sensei.  It was Casey who chose to spend time with me.  I thought it was because he was interested in the Shellraiser, or because he wanted to find out how close April and I are.  I didn’t even realize it was bothering Raph until he said something.”

            “And when he did, what did you do about it?” Master Splinter asked.

            “I tried to avoid Casey, but he’s been persistent,” Don explained.

            “Why do you suppose that is?”  Master Splinter’s gaze didn’t falter, and Don knew he’d be caught out if he tried to lie.

            “He likes me?”  Don replied, unintentionally phrasing it like a question and then realizing that was also a form of subterfuge.

            “Are you asking me?  I would hope that after the considerable amount of time that has passed, you would already know the answer,” Master Splinter said.

            Don lowered his head, his cheeks heating up.  “He likes me,” he answered in a low voice.

            “Does he like you as a friend or in the same manner that you like April?” Master Splinter asked.

            His eyes refused to meet his father’s as Don said, “The way that I like April.”

            “I see.”  Master Splinter inhaled deeply.  “I thought as much.  Do you like him in return?”

            “I . . . I’m not sure,” Don said, being intentionally vague.

            “Are you leading him on, Donatello?” Master Splinter asked.

            Don’s head snapped up.  “No!”  Swallowing, he said, “I couldn’t . . . I mean I wasn’t . . . I didn’t understand at first.”

            “You did not understand that his interest in you went beyond mere friendship?” Master Splinter asked, looking for clarification.

            “Not at first,” Don repeated.

            “But you do understand it now,” Master Splinter said.  “He has gone into your room on a number of occasions, perhaps to discuss this with you.  Have you given him an answer?”

            Don had no idea how his father knew so much about the situation.  He was sure that Mikey had kept everything he knew to himself, guarding his secrets like a June bride.

            As embarrassing as the discussion was, Donatello felt a little relieved that his father had brought it up and was giving him the chance to talk it through.

            “What do you think about it, Master Splinter?” Don asked, knowing that he probably appeared a bit needy.

            “Has that been one of your concerns, my son?”  Master Splinter leaned forward, his expression softening.  “I have never attempted to dictate your feelings towards April O’Neil and I will not begin to do so now.  If you care for April, then you must ask yourself what impact an emotional connection to Casey Jones will have.  There is not only your dedication to April to consider, there is also the question of Raphael’s feelings in the matter.”

            “We’ve talked about it a little,” Don said, taking care to say nothing that would give away his brother’s secret.  “It’s hard to give him assurances when I don’t know myself what to do.”

            “Then I will repeat my earlier question,” Master Splinter said.  “Do you like Casey Jones?”

            It took Don a minute to answer as his mind flashed through all of his experiences and interactions with Casey.  His whirling thoughts finally came to rest on the kiss they’d shared while they were inside Irma’s apartment.  There was no way for Don to deny how he’d felt at that moment.

            “I like him,” Don told his father.  “I’m still in love with April too.”

            Master Splinter nodded briefly.  “She has begun to return your feelings, has she not?”

            Don bit his lip before answering, “Yes.”

            “I believe it would interest you to know that would please Mr. O’Neil,” Master Splinter said with a light chuckle.  “That is something for him to speak to you about.  April also likes Casey I believe.”

            Don shrugged.  “She does.  She’s had a crush on him since they met.”

            “He likes her as well,” Master Splinter said.  “He shows an enlightenment that surprises me.”

            “Sensei?” Don asked.

            “Most people are tied to the idea that personal interests must be dictated by gender,” Master Splinter said.  “Few can look beyond the purely physical form of attraction into something that is deeper and more meaningful, an interest that is based entirely on a person’s character.”

            Don hadn’t really thought about what it meant to be bi-sexual, but his father’s view seemed to express it well.

            “Casey calls it bi-sexual,” Don said.

            “As good a word as any when one is required,” Master Splinter said.  “Are you bi-sexual, Donatello?”

            Once more Don felt extremely uncomfortable.  It was almost like he was eight again and his father had taken him aside to explain the facts of life because Don was being annoyingly persistent on the subject.

            “Casey’s personality has grown on me,” Don said.

            “Not an answer,” Master Splinter said sternly.  “Try again.”

            Squaring his shoulders, Don said, “I’m emotionally and physically attracted to April as well as Casey.”

            Master Splinter relaxed.  “Very good.  The reason you have been struggling with this is because you were not asking yourself the right questions.  The questions that did come to your mind were summarily dismissed.  You cannot do that anymore, Donatello.  You, April, and Casey have a difficult set of choices facing you and they will not be resolved by ignoring them.”

            It was almost exactly the conundrum that April had put before him and one to which Don had no answer.  Perhaps Master Splinter was right; first came acceptance and then the asking of hard questions.

            “We need to talk,” Don said slowly.  “Just the three of us.  We need to open up to each other.”

            “Yes, I think that would be an excellent first step,” Master Splinter said.  “It is certainly better than walking around in a fog, wouldn’t you agree my son?”

            For the first time Don found some amusement in the situation.  “Ninjas like a good fog, but not this kind,” he said with a smile.

            “While you are fighting your way out of it, you might also have a meaningful conversation with Raphael,” Master Splinter said.  “Your brother has a place in this equation that must not be overlooked.”

            Don’s smile faded.  “I’ll do my best, sensei.”

            Master Splinter stood up and indicated that Don should do so as well.  Placing a hand on Don’s shoulder, he said, “Do not worry about his temper.  Raphael will appreciate your candor and your efforts to make things right with him.  He will not be losing a friend and you must make certain he understands that.”

            “I will, father,” Don assured him.

            “Let us see if Mr. O’Neil is ready to depart,” Master Splinter said, leading the way out of his room.

            Once they were within view of the stairs, the pair stopped.  The five humans were nowhere in sight, but Mikey, Leo, and Raph were near the turnstiles waiting for them.

            Leo was holding a comic book high in the air, out of Mikey’s reach as the youngest turtle jumped up to try to grab it.  After watching his antics for a few minutes, Raph finally planted his palm squarely on Mikey’s face and gave him a shove.

            Master Splinter chuckled as Mikey went back for more, seemingly unperturbed at having his older brothers gang up on him.

            “It is good to see Leonardo and Raphael getting along so well,” Master Splinter said.  “It is almost as if their previous acrimony were a thing of the past.”

            Don watched the pair as they laughed and played keep away from Mikey, somehow managing to always stay near one another.

            “ _You have no idea,”_ Don thought.


	81. 81. Pen and Paper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,033  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Mikey gave up on his attempt at grabbing the comic book out of Leo’s hand as soon as he spotted Irma coming out of April’s room.  He raced over to join her as she walked towards the turnstiles, engaging her in a lively conversation all the way to the stairs.

            As they stopped there, the pair stood near one another, their heads together as they carried on a whispered conversation.  After a moment Irma was blushing and giggling and Mikey’s grin nearly split his face.

            Don could almost see Irma’s eyes sparkling as she said something to his younger brother.  Mikey began nodding emphatically, holding up one finger as though signaling for her to give him a minute and then raced off.

            Dashing madly around the lair, Mikey began looking under cushions and kicking aside pizza boxes in a frantic search for something.  When Mikey passed near where Don and Master Splinter stood, they could hear him muttering, “Pen and paper, pen and paper.”

            Don glanced at Master Splinter who shook his head, his face expressionless.  “Do not ask,” he said.

            “Ah ha!” Mikey exclaimed, crawling out from under a water pipe with a black marker in his hand.

            With that acquisition Mikey started running around again, this time saying, “Paper, paper, paper,” under his breath.  Don started to tell him that if he needed something to write on, he could just use part of a pizza box top, but then decided to stay out of it.

            Mikey was still rushing about when the four other humans made their appearance.  Mrs. Jones was smiling and talking to Mr. O’Neil, seemingly as normal as usual, other than the fact that she looked right at Leo and Raph without registering that they were giant turtles.

            Don felt a twinge of regret that he hadn’t gotten to watch Mr. O’Neil hypnotize the woman.  Maybe he could talk the man into doing it again with a test subject.  Grinning mischievously, Don decided he was going to volunteer Mikey.

            The pair started up the stairs, passing through a turnstile without losing the thread of their conversation.  Casey and April walked a few steps behind them, both turning to locate Don before they left.  April blew him a kiss, unworried that Master Splinter was witness to it.  Casey grinned as he watched her and then he tipped the turtle an outrageously blatant wink.

            Throwing an arm across April’s shoulder, Casey walked her out to the tunnel.  After a minute she bumped him with her hip and slipped away from his grasp, laughing as she did so.

            Don was surprised to find that he wasn’t experiencing the slightest hint of jealousy at seeing the two of them leaving together.  It was obvious that they were closer than simple friends would be, but Don _knew_ without a shred of doubt how both of them felt about him.  He had nothing to worry about.

            Leo and Raph moved through the turnstiles and then waited there for Irma.  She watched Mikey for a moment and then glanced at the two turtles who weren’t doing a great job of hiding their impatience.

            “Mikey,” Irma called, immediately garnering his attention.

            Bouncing over to her, Mikey said something, showing her the marker.  Irma giggled again, cupping his hand with one of hers as she took the marker from him with the other.  Uncapping it, Irma scribbled something in the palm of Mikey’s hand while he looked on, an expression of puppy dog devotion etching his features.

            Returning the marker to him, Irma released his hand and started up the stairs.  She’d only ascended two of them when she wheeled back around, skipped down to Mikey and planted a kiss on his cheek.

            Blushing brilliantly, Irma ran up the stairs and went past Leo and Raph, who had to move fast to keep up with her.

            Mikey stood frozen in place, his mouth hanging open and his fingers resting on the spot where Irma had kissed him.

            Don was so focused on the action in front of him that it took a minute for him to realize that Master Splinter was chuckling under his breath.  Without a word, the tall rat turned and went back into his room.

            Since there really was a lot of work to do in his lab, Don went directly there.  Putting things back in order and catching up on his notes would relax the genius and give him an opportunity to think over the things he’d talked to Master Splinter about.

            Unfortunately solitude wasn’t something Don’s youngest sibling required.  Don had only been working for ten minutes when Mikey strolled into the lab, his eyes darting over the tables covered in delicate experiments, breakable machinery, and fragile glass.

            “Don’t touch anything,” Don said sternly, straightening in his seat to glare menacingly at Mikey.

            “Okay,” Mikey agreed placidly.  The promise was barely out of his mouth when he spotted a blank notepad.  “Paper!”

            He was starting to reach for it when Don slapped his hand.  “I said not to touch.  Put both of your hands down by your sides.”

            Giving Don a pouty look, Mikey did as he was told.  Don could see his fingers twitching and sighed.  Picking up the notepad, Don offered it to him, but Mikey didn’t move.

            “You said to keep my hands down,” Mikey told him.

            “Mikey.”  Don stopped and rolled his eyes.  “Take the notepad.”

            With a large grin, Mikey grabbed it away from Don and dug the marker out of his belt.  Curious, Don peeked over at him.

            “What are you doing?” Don asked.

            Looking at his palm, Mikey started to jot some numbers down in the notepad.  “Irma gave me her digits,” Mikey said.  “I’m afraid they’ll rub off so I wanted to write them on something better.”

            “What, you didn’t get her MyFace page?” Don asked, teasing his brother.

            “Oh sure, I got that too,” Mikey replied seriously as he looked up.  “But I’d rather hear her voice.”

            He sounded so wistful as he said it that Don leaned forward.  “You really like Irma, don’t you?”

            “Dude,” Mikey said with a sigh.  “I think I’m in love.”


	82. 82. Can You Hear Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,496  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don smiled at his little brother, amused at how dramatic Mikey could be.

            “Love huh?  You’ve only known Irma for a few hours,” Don said.

            Mikey smirked at him.  “So?  You fell for April after you’d only seen her from a roof top.”

            “Touché,” Don said.  “At least you know Irma likes you back.”

            “But you know that about April now too,” Mikey said, his eyes twinkling as he sat down on a nearby stool and started spinning around.

            Don reddened slightly.  “Yes I do.”  There was no point in dissembling, Mikey had seen them together.

            “And she likes Casey,” Mikey said, coming to a stop so he could watch Don closely.

            “Eavesdropping again, Mikey?” Don asked, turning his attention back to the things on his work table.

            “Casey likes her,” Mikey continued, not bothering to deny how he’d acquired his information, “but he likes you more.”

            Don’s lips spread in a thin line.  “This isn’t something I want to discuss,” he said warningly.

            “Aw, but we just got to the good part,” Mikey said brazenly.  “’Cause you like Casey that way too.”

            “That way?  Really, Mikey?” Don asked, trying to put a sneer into his voice.  As soon as the words came out, he regretted them.

            “You were alone with him a really long time last night,” Mikey said.  “Bet he kissed you.”

            “Stop,” Don said flatly, getting up to work at a different table.

            It was a pointless maneuver; Mikey was on the scent and was not to be shaken loose.  He bounced up and followed his brother.

            “Irma kissed me on the cheek,” Mikey said.  “It felt awesome, but I think kissing her mouth would be better.  What did it feel like when you kissed April?”

            In spite of himself, Don glanced up.  Mikey’s expression was without guile, merely appearing open and curious.

            With a sigh, Don said, “It’s hard to describe.  She’s soft; her body is soft and it feels really good to hold her.  Her lips are soft.  I just want to put my arms around her and not let go.  Kissing her makes me forget everything except April.”

            “Do you get kind of an excited feeling in your stomach?” Mikey asked.

            “Yes, a _good_ excited feeling,” Don admitted.

            His brother seemed to think about that for a minute.  “It probably feels different with Casey though, doesn’t it?”

            Mikey always did have a way of tenaciously hanging onto a notion.  He might not be the smartest in the family, but Mikey was very adroit.  If going at something from one direction didn’t work, he’d slide off and go at it a different way.

            Don thought about not answering but he knew that Mikey would keep asking anyway.  Persistence could easily have been his middle name.

            “Where April’s soft, Casey’s solid,” Don said slowly, trying to find the right words.  “He’s more . . . aggressive.  April’s pliant and accepting but with Casey there’s a feeling of assertiveness that makes the experience exciting.”

            Mikey’s brow was furrowed in concentration, proving he was serious and not merely digging for information.  “So with April it’s like the feeling you get from laying in the sun all day and with Casey it’s more like the buzz you get from being in a fight without the getting hurt part.”

            Surprised by his brother’s apt analogy, Don half smiled as he said, “That’s a good way of looking at it.  It’s two completely different feelings but you like both of them.”

            “I think I get both of those feelings when Irma’s around,” Mikey said.  “How do you know for sure it’s love and you’re not just happy to have someone new to talk to?”

            That was a more difficult question to answer because Don was still trying to figure that one out himself.  “I think . . . I think it’s an obsession when you’re only worried about yourself and what the other person can do to make you feel good,” he said thoughtfully.  “I think you love someone when you make it more about them, like you worry about their happiness first.”

            “Like if you do everything you can for them and they do the same for you?” Mikey said.  “Then everything is balanced and that’s love.”

            “Balanced,” Don said musingly.  “Love brings balance to two people.”

            “Master Splinter says balance is one of the most important things ever,” Mikey said.  “He says balance can keep you alive and not having it can be really bad.”

            “Yin yang, perfect balance,” Don said, his voice soft.  “Maybe that’s what April and Casey represent to me.”

            “If someone found their perfect balance, it’d be wrong to say they couldn’t have it,” Mikey said.

            “Yes,” Don agreed.  Talking to Mikey was more helpful than he thought it would be.  Maybe Don’s perfect balance required three sides and he hadn’t realized that until now.

            “Leo and Raph have perfect balance when they’re together,” Mikey told him.  “They always have.”

            Don had been staring at the random junk on the table but Mikey’s unexpected words made him look up.  His brother’s blue eyes weren’t shining with their usual mischief; instead they were deep pools of intensity aimed directly at Don as Mikey drove home the point he’d been trying to make all along.

            “You’re really determined that I accept this choice they seem to have made,” Don said.

            Mikey shrugged.  “With April it was love at first sight for you.  Casey was totally the opposite; you were determined not to like him.  The only thing they have in common is that you didn’t mean to fall in love and you didn’t go out looking for it.  It just happened.  That’s what’s going on with Leo and Raph.  They’ve always been in love with each other; they just didn’t accept it until lately.  I think that makes it more right than wrong.  Way more right.”

            “You’re getting to be pretty philosophical,” Don said lightly.

            “I don’t know what that means,” Mikey said, chuckling.  “But if you’re saying I’m awesome then you’re right.  I’m pretty sure what happened with Bradford made me think harder about stuff.”

            Don sat quietly for a moment, neither moving nor saying anything.  Mikey remained as still as he could, sensing that his brother was about to make some concession to his previous attitude towards their older brother’s relationship.

            “This is a lot for me to take in,” Don finally said, “and I can’t claim to have the same lenient view as you.  I do have to admit that it’s been pointed out to me that I might be acting like a hypocrite considering the whole April and Casey thing.”

            “Does that mean you’ll keep an open mind?” Mikey asked excitedly.

            “How about I say I won’t ride them about it?  I think I can stay neutral as long as their thing doesn’t hurt the family or our team,” Don replied, adding, “And as long as I don’t have to watch any PDA’s.”

            A slow grin stretched across Mikey’s face.  “They’ve been doing that in front of you for years,” he said.  “It’s called arguing.”

            Don wasn’t sure what got into him, but he couldn’t resist saying, “I thought they called it foreplay.”

            Mikey burst out laughing and Don joined in.  For the first time he felt a bit less uneasy by his brother’s affair.

            Their moment of mirth was interrupted by the sound of Don’s T-Phone.  Glancing at the screen, Don saw that the caller was April.

            “Hi, April!” Don said, his tone carrying the lilt that he reserved just for her.

            A loud burst of static hit Don’s eardrum and he yanked the phone away from his head with a wince.  _“Donnie, I . . . ssszzzz . . . he went . . . ssszzz . . . ooze . . . .”_

            The static was so bad that Don had to strain to pick out any of her words.

            “April!  Say that again!  April!  April, can you hear me?” Don practically shouted into the phone.

            There was no sound on the other end and Don thought the line had gone dead.  Then a crunching noise came through the line, followed by, _“. . . Stockman . . . alley . . . ssszzz . . . followed . . . .”_

            “Where are you?” Don asked loudly, growing increasingly frantic.  If there was anything he didn’t like to hear, it was Stockman and ooze in the same sentence.

            He thought he heard the faint sound of her voice, but it was washed out by the static.

            “April?  Can you hear me?” Don called again, but the connection faded out completely.

            Mikey was staring at his brother, having been close enough to hear the entire conversation.

            “What’s going on, Donnie?” Mikey asked.

            Jumping out of his seat, Don quickly headed for the outer door with Mikey racing to keep up.  “April’s in trouble.  We’ve got to find her.”


	83. 83. Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,389  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            “Did she say anything about Irma?” Mikey asked quickly as they ran through the tunnels.

            Don didn’t respond, his eyes focused on his T-Phone as he attempted to track April’s, to no avail.  It was almost as if he hadn’t heard the question.

            “Donnie.  Donnie!” Mikey yelled, grabbing Don’s arm.

            Jerking against Mikey’s grip, Don looked at his brother as though he’d forgotten he was there. “What?”

            “Was Irma still with her?”  Mikey stared at him, his blue eyes filled with worry.

            Swallowing his impatience, Don said, “I don’t know.  There was so much static I could only pick out a few words.”

            “Then how do you know where to go?” Mikey asked, keeping pace with his brother.

            Don didn’t want to talk, he wanted to find April.  He couldn’t just snap at Mikey though; his brother was in love with Irma and Don knew they shared an identical kind of fear now.

            “Leo and Raph were escorting them.  I’m taking the route they would have taken,” Don said.  “If she got into trouble after leaving them, then she’d still be somewhere in that vicinity.”

            Mikey had his T-Phone out.  “I’m gonna call Irma.  You should try Leo; maybe he already knows what’s going on.”

            Cursing his own stupidity, Don quickly called Leo.  He could hear Mikey talking to Irma, who had apparently reached home safely.  Mikey was just telling her that he’d only called to make sure she was okay when Leo answered.

            _“What is it Don?”_   Leo sounded a little impatient and slightly breathless.

            “April’s in trouble,” Don said without preliminaries.  “She tried to call me but all I got was static.  When did you last see her?”

            _“Twenty minutes ago,”_ Leo said, his voice reverting to the no-nonsense tone that meant he was now in leader mode.  _“We’re at the entrance to the alley behind her building.”_

            Don could hear Raph’s voice in the background and Leo quickly telling him what had happened.

            “She was only going up to grab a couple of things,” Don said.  “It wouldn’t have taken twenty minutes.  Weren’t you watching for her?”

            _“We checked to make sure it was all clear before she went up the ladder,”_ Leo said.  _“It’s still daylight outside, Donatello.  We couldn’t exactly walk her to the door.  Where are you?”_

            “Mikey and I are almost there.  Wait for us,” Don said before abruptly ending the call.

            His youngest brother was staring at him, his concern having shifted now that he knew Irma was safe.  “I didn’t tell Irma that April was missing.  So April made it to her apartment?”

            “Who knows?” Don said bitingly.  “It wasn’t as if Leo and Raph were paying any attention.”

            “I know you’re worried, but that’s not fair,” Mikey said.  “The sun’s still out D.”

            “They should have checked as soon as she was late,” Don said stubbornly, stewing at the thought of what his brothers had been doing while something was happening to April.

            What irked Don the most was that he had made a decision to try to heal the rift between the three of them and then work to accept the relationship that Leo and Raph wanted to have.  Don had made those concessions with himself based on the assurances he’d received from both of his brothers that what they were doing wouldn’t have a detrimental effect on anything else in their lives.

            Now April was missing and probably in danger, all because Leo and Raph couldn’t keep their hands off of each other long enough to do their job.

            He’d reached that point in his thought processes when Don turned a corner and spotted Raph.  His brother was standing next to the ladder that led up to the manhole in the alley closest to April’s home.

            “Leo went up to see how much he could find out,” Raph said before Don could speak.  “There ain’t a lot of shadowed places for him to hide in that alley.”

            “All you needed was one in order to keep a proper watch over April,” Don snapped, not at all placated by what he felt was a belated attempt to appease him.

            Raph’s face darkened in anger.  “Watch it, Don.”

            “Or what?  Are you going to lose me too?” Don asked.

            “Donatello.”  Leo’s voice was sharp, pulling Don’s attention to the top of the ladder.  Leo jumped down and faced the genius.  “Let’s focus on the problem.  I didn’t see April up there and there are no signs that she made it back to the alley.  I saw her go into her building and didn’t notice anyone else around so Raph and I waited here just as she asked.”

            “Duty done, right Leo?” Don asked snidely.  “Time for a little fun while you ignore the girl that the Kraang so desperately want?”

            “You are way out of bounds!” Raph yelled, lunging at Don.  Leo jumped in front of him as Mikey caught Don’s arm and pulled him backwards.

            “Your feelings won’t ever affect your ability to lead, right Leo?” Don asked, too angry to think about what he was saying.  “It won’t affect the rest of the family, isn’t that what you told me?”

            “Nobody told your girlfriend to go running off by herself!” Leo shot back, starting to lose his temper.

            A shrill, deafening whistle stopped the yelling match as the three oldest turtles clutched at their ears.

            “Guys!”  Mikey exclaimed as he took his fingers out of his mouth.  “None of that is helping us find April.”

            Don’s chest was heaving with emotions but Mikey’s words cut through his anger.  He stared at the ground so he wouldn’t have to see what Leo was doing to calm Raph down, or maybe it was the other way around; Don didn’t much care.

            In a much more even tone than before, Leo asked, “Could you understand any part of April’s phone call?”

            “Just random words,” Don said, his voice low.  “She mentioned Stockman and something about mutagen; ooze.  She said ‘he went’ and then I heard ‘alley’ and ‘followed’.  After that it was nothing but static before the call faded out.”

            “She didn’t ask for help?” Leo asked.

            “Not that I heard,” Don said.  “There was so much static.”

            “Sounds like she spotted Stockman,” Raph said, his voice stiff.  He was obviously still angry but was making an effort to push it aside.  “From where though?  It ain’t like fly face can come out in the open any more than we can.”

            “Her window,” Mikey said.  “She can see a lot of things from that high up.  I’ll bet she saw him fly down into some other alley.”

            “Which one?  Even if we separate it will take hours to figure out which of the alley’s he might have gone into,” Raph pointed out.

            “Not if someone looks through April’s window and gives us some direction,” Don said, grabbing his T-Phone.

            No one had to ask who he was calling.  Don waited as the other phone rang four times and then he finally heard a voice that immediately eased his anxiety.

            _“Hello?”_

            “Casey, it’s Don,” he said.

            There was a low chuckle on the other end of the line.  _“Miss me already?”_

            “Shut up,” Don said.  “April’s missing.  Where’s her dad?”

            Casey’s voice changed from teasing to serious.  _“He’s still here with ma.”_

            “Don’t let on that anything’s wrong,” Don said quickly.  “See if Mr. O’Neil can stay there with your mom.  Make an excuse for having to leave; tell him your soccer coach called and needs you to pick up something.  Then get over to April’s apartment building as fast as you can.”

            _“Five minutes,”_ Casey assured him, hanging up the phone.

            Knowing that Casey was on his way offered Don the comfort he wasn’t feeling from the presence of his brothers.  Unable to do anything else as he waited for the boy to show up, Don started pacing; avoiding eye contact with his siblings as he did so.

            Maybe Mikey was right and Don’s resentment was unfair.  Maybe he shouldn’t blame them for what had happened, but he couldn’t get it out of his head that they were fooling around while April was in danger.

            Whatever happened now, the division between Don and his brothers was wider than ever.  Possibly too wide to ever heal.


	84. 84. Out Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,081  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Casey was as good as his word, arriving in the alley behind April’s apartment building in less than five minutes.  It was as if the urgency of the situation had lent his bike wings.

            After making sure no one was around, he’d jumped down in the tunnel to find out what was going on.  Don gave him terse instructions, reminding Casey that time was of the essence.

            As usual when action was called for Casey moved quickly.  Handing his gear to Don for safe keeping, Casey darted out of the sewers and got himself buzzed into April’s building.

            Don had no idea how Casey was going to get into April’s apartment since it was probably locked, but it appeared Casey had a plan for that too.  In a couple of minutes he used Don’s T-Phone to call the genius on Mikey’s.

            _“I’m on the balcony,”_ Casey said.  _“She’s got a northeast facing view, so I’m gonna give you all the streets I can see from here.”_

            “Go ahead,” Don said, Mikey’s phone in his hand and on speaker so his brothers could hear.  He was grateful that Casey was a native New Yorker and understood how the city streets were laid out.

            As Casey named off the streets and intersections, Don pulled up a detailed map of the area and used the information to narrow their search grid.  It was still a fairly large section of city but Don narrowed it further by calculating how far April might have conceivably traveled in the time that had passed.

            “Send that to our T-Phones,” Leo said once Don had completed the map.  “We’ll divide the map into four separate quadrants and split up to search them.”

            “Four?” Don asked.

            “Casey will go with you since he doesn’t have a phone,” Leo explained.  “As soon as anyone finds April they’ll call the rest of us.  Get her away from danger if you can safely do it alone.  Don’t start a fight that might lead to one of you getting hurt.  Remember, she’s going to be in the crossfire if a fight breaks out.”

            He had glanced at Raph when he said that and Don understood why Leo had chosen to send Casey with him rather than the hot head.  Raph and Casey’s temperaments were too similar and if they were together they probably wouldn’t heed Leo’s warning.

            “Did you hear that, Casey?” Don asked.  “Come back down.”

            _“On my way,”_ Casey said.

            “I want to search this area,” Don said, pointing at one of the four squares he’d divided the map into.

            He glanced up at Leo for an acknowledgment.  It was the first time he had looked directly at his oldest brother since their argument and he found that Leo was regarding him thoughtfully.

            “A hunch?” Leo asked.

            “I prefer to call it logic based on my studies of human behavior,” Don said.  He realized that sounded haughty and amended it.  “Yeah, basically it’s a hunch.”

            “It’s his April radar,” Mikey supplied, trying to lighten the mood as Don returned his T-Phone to him.

            “Let’s go,” Raph said impatiently, refusing to make eye contact with Don.  “I got the square on the bottom left.  The genius can wait by himself for Casey.”

            “Stay in touch,” Leo cautioned as each of the three split off from Don.

            They were barely out of sight when Don heard the grating of the manhole cover and then Casey dropped down to the ground next to him.

            “I hope ya’ picked this square,” Casey said, tapping the map with a slightly dirty forefinger.

            Don looked at him in surprise.  “I did, how . . . ?”

            “I guess ya’ ain’t the only one with April radar,” Casey answered, slipping his gear on as they started through the tunnels.

            Retrieving his T-Phone from Casey, Don carefully turned the speaker off and broke the connection with the other phones.  He didn’t want the sound to give them away if they came upon a situation that required silence.

            Quickly and cautiously the pair moved into their search zone.  Don took the lead in setting their direction and after a few minutes, Casey asked, “Ya’ going somewhere in particular?  This doesn’t feel like a random search.”

            “There’s an abandoned print shop up ahead,” Don said.  “I figured that if April saw Stockman in broad daylight, it would have to be because he was sticking to the shadows of taller buildings in the area.  The print shop is a two-story building and dwarfed on all sides by newer construction.  There’s probably an open window he could go through.”

            “Ya’ didn’t mention that to your brothers,” Casey said, staring at the genius.

            “If I’m wrong then we won’t have lost any time,” Don said.  “I want us to be the ones to find her.”

            It was the first time Don had referred to him and Casey as a duo and though he wasn’t looking directly at Casey, from the corner of his eye he saw the boy smile.

            “Yeah,” Casey agreed.  “We’re the ones she belongs with.”

            Don liked the sound of that but he didn’t have time to contemplate what that meant because they’d arrived at their destination.  The tunnel reached a dead end but there was a maintenance door built into the concrete wall that had stopped them.

            After a quick inspection of the door, Don fished out his lock picking equipment and set to work.  He had the door open in ten seconds, earning a quiet whistle of admiration from Casey.

            Stepping through the opening the pair found that they were in a tiny room with a set of stairs to their right which led upward.  At the top of the stairs was another door and Don made short work of that lock as well.

            They found that they were in the building’s electrical room.  None of the electricity was on and when they exited the room into the main part of the old print shop it was obvious that it had been empty for a long time.

            The main floor was a wide open space that had once contained printing equipment, most of which was gone.  Stairs on either end of the room led up to a catwalk off of which a few offices sat vacant, their doors open or missing completely.

            “I don’t think this bet paid off, Donnie,” Casey said as he looked around.

            Don was about to admit that Casey was right when he noticed that one of the skylights was open.  Walking towards it, Don started searching the ground and within a minute spotted a section of floor that looked as if it had been hit by a current of air.  In the scattered dirt beyond that were faint marks that appeared to have been made by toe nails.

            “Stockman came through here,” Don said confidently.  “His wings scattered the dust and you can see where his feet periodically touched down.  He was going someplace where he had to stay low.”

            “Let’s follow those tracks,” Casey said, keeping his eyes down now that he knew what to look for.

            The marks on the floor led to a door underneath one of the sets of stairs.  When they were near it, Don noticed that another set of tracks intersected with Stockman’s, passing over them in some places.

            “Those are April’s footprints,” Don said excitedly.

            Casey leaned over to get a closer look.  “Yeah, they’re hers all right.  I recognize that tread pattern.”

            “April’s following Stockman,” Don said, happy to have located her trail.  Then he frowned.  “She should have called as soon as she saw him.”

            “We’ll chew her out for that after we get her someplace safe,” Casey said, slowly opening the door.  “Stairs.”

            “Basement,” Don said, following as Casey led the way down.

            The basement was empty when they reached it, but the tracks were once more visible in the dust on the floor.  These led directly to another door on the opposite side of the room.  When Don tugged on the door handle, he found it was unlocked so he opened it just wide enough to peer through.  In front of him was a long service tunnel, the walls covered in conduits and pipes.

            “It’s one of the city’s electric and natural gas service tunnels.  This probably leads to several of the older buildings in the area,” Don said.

            “It probably leads to April too,” Casey said.  “Damn it’s dark.  How’d she see where she was going?”

            Don held up the T-Phone, the bluish light from the display piercing the dark for several paces.  “She probably used this.  I’d better call my brothers before we go any farther.”

            He tried Mikey’s phone first but a blast of static made him disconnect the call quickly.  The next call he placed was to Leo.

            _“. . . onnie?”_   Leo’s voice was cut off at the front of the word and faded at the end.  The static wasn’t as bad as with Mikey’s, but it was bad enough.

            “We found April’s trail,” Don said, speaking as loudly as he dared.

            _“. . . ssszzz . . . again,”_ Leo said.

            “It’s the old print shop!” Don said, almost shouting.

            _“I can’t . . . ssszzz . . . say print . . . ssszzz . . . .”_ Leo called back.

            “Yes!”  Looking at his phone in frustration, Don gave up trying to talk to Leo.  “It must be all of this equipment,” he told Casey.  “Mikey is the farthest from us and that must be why we couldn’t hear him at all.  Raph’s the closest, I can try his T-Phone or we . . . .”

            Casey suddenly grabbed his arm, silencing him.  Don gave him a puzzled look but then a second later heard a banging sound from up ahead of them.

            They looked at each other and then started towards the sound.  Don traded his T-Phone for a flashlight, illuminating the way through the dark tunnel.  Because it was so narrow, they could only move in single file and not too quickly for fear they’d run into an ambush.

            Just a little farther ahead the tunnel dead ended at a T.  Don searched the floor for prints, finding that their quarry had gone left.  A few steps more found the pair in front of another door.

            Don turned off the flashlight and glanced at Casey, who nodded.  With the utmost care, Don pulled the door open.

            A horrendous odor hit them full in the face.  It had a distinct chemical scent to it, but Don’s turtle olfactory sense detected the distinct stench of decay as well.  Casey was already pulling his head band down over his nose and mouth and Don used his mask to do likewise.

            Without a word, the pair went inside.  Before allowing the door to close, Don wedged one of his shuriken into the frame so that it wouldn’t lock behind them.

            They found themselves on a metal catwalk high above a chamber that had probably once been part of a sub-basement.  The glowing lights below them came from the lab equipment that was scattered throughout the space, powered by a pair of gas generators.

            A large vat of mutagen sat in the center of the space and gave off a glow of its own.  The smell wasn’t coming from that however, but from the rows of beakers that were scattered over work tables throughout the area.

            Casey nudged Don’s arm and pointed down.  At one such table was Baxter Stockman, busily combining a tube of dark liquid into a beaker of mutagen.  Don held a finger up to his lips to remind Casey to be as quiet as possible.  When the boy nodded, Don began moving farther along the catwalk.

            Don was sure that April was in the room somewhere.  The upper part of the space was connected by a number of catwalks similar to the one he and Casey were on, some higher, some lower.  He had to step carefully because every movement caused the metal to squeak.

            They hadn’t gone far when Casey’s foot came down on a particularly bad spot and the metal gave off a grinding sound.  Both of them froze, hoping that Stockman’s machinery had drowned out the sound.

            It was right at that moment that Don looked down and spotted April on the catwalk almost directly beneath them.  She was flat on her back and out cold.


	85. 85. Spiral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,534  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don’s first instinct was to jump down to where April was, but he was afraid that his weight would cause the metal catwalk to shriek loudly enough to draw Stockman’s attention.

            Since he didn’t think that April had jumped either, Don looked around for another route down to where she lay.  He was sure there had to be one; if she’d fallen Stockman would have seen her and if he was responsible for her condition, she’d be trussed up in his lab.

            A few yards in front of him Don spotted a spiral staircase which went down to the next level of catwalks.  Nudging Casey to get his attention off Stockman, who apparently hadn’t heard them, Don pointed at April.

            Tapping his chest, Casey motioned as if he would jump, but Don caught his arm.  Shaking his head no, Don leaned in close to Casey’s ear and whispered, “Stay here and watch Stockman.  If he sees us, draw his attention off of April.  I’m going to use the stairs to reach her because they won’t make as much noise.”

            Casey glanced over at the spiral staircase and nodded.  Before leaving the boy, Don handed him a few smoke bombs.  Having Casey set off one of his exploding hockey pucks in Stockman’s lab was a recipe for disaster.  There were too many unknown chemicals lying about.

            With a wink Casey let Don know he understood and the turtle moved towards the stairs.

            Utilizing all of the skills his father had ever taught him about the art of remaining silent, Don crept down the stairs.  With no more sound than a shadow makes, Don slid up next to April and squatted so that he could check her pulse.  It was thready and her skin had a slight bluish tinge.

            Don quickly lifted April and draped her unconscious form over one shoulder.  He had to get her out of the lab quickly; April had obviously been overcome by the fumes from Stockman’s various experiments while trying to spy on him.

            Luck was with him until Don was three-quarters of the way up the spiral stairs.  The aging metal brackets, already stressed from April and Don’s individual trips down, were unable to support their combined weight.

            As the brackets began to pull away from the wall bolts a sharp, high-pitched squeak echoed throughout the chamber.  The first of the brackets came loose with a resounding _pop_ and then Don heard Casey shouting something.

            Don didn’t need to look back to know that Stockman was after them.  The stairs rocked precariously beneath his feet and Don sprang for the platform above him just as the staircase collapsed.

            He was moving almost as soon as he landed.  Don saw Casey running towards him and in the same moment heard the sound of Stockman’s wings.  As Casey pulled a bat from his bag, Don instinctively ducked and spun out of his path, passing the boy with only inches to spare.

            When Don turned he saw that Stockman was aiming for the unconscious girl on his shoulder.  Before he got close to her, Casey swung his bat and caught Stockman right across his chest.  Stockman cried out shrilly as he was propelled backwards, the force of Casey’s blow sending him crashing against the wall.

            “Home run!” Casey shouted, watching Stockman slide downwards.  His jubilation was short-lived as he saw Stockman get up, shake his head, and start after them again.

            Grabbing a couple of the smoke bombs Don had given him, Casey launched them at the metal catwalk.  As the smoke began to billow around them, Casey yelled, “Get her out of here, I’ll hold him off!”

            Don raced for the door, confident that Casey could handle Stockman.  He didn’t slow down as he hit the tunnels, running as fast as he could to get April someplace relatively safe in order to administer first aid.

            It wasn’t until he was back inside the print shop that Don felt like he could stop.  Using his foot he cleared the dust from a spot on the floor and then gently placed April on her back.  He was happy to see that just being out of Stockman’s lab had caused the bluish tinge to fade from her skin.

            Pulling his mask back into place, Don tilted April’s head back and administered mouth to mouth resuscitation, forcing more air into her lungs.  After a couple of minutes she groaned and Don leaned back on his heels, watching as she took several deep breaths on her own before starting to cough.

            April rolled onto her side before opening her eyes.  “D . . . Don?”

            “Don’t move too fast,” Don instructed, holding her shoulder with one hand.

            “Where are we?” April asked.

            “In the print shop,” Don answered.  “Casey and I found you passed out in Stockman’s secret lab.”

            “Casey?”  April pushed against Don’s hand, sitting up to look around.

            “He’s keeping Stockman busy,” Don said.  “Stockman came for you as soon as he realized that you were there.  You shouldn’t have followed him, April.”

            “I was afraid I was going to lose track of him,” April said.  She started to get up and Don gave her a hand, holding on as she steadied herself.  “I saw him from my window.  He was moving so fast I would have thought he was a figment of my imagination if I didn’t know there were mutants in the city.  He had a container of mutagen and I got curious about where he was taking it.”

            “That would have been the perfect time to call,” Don said.  “Leo and Raph were practically under your feet.”

            “I didn’t want to bother them until I was sure I was onto Stockman’s trail.  As soon as I found out where he was going I tried to call you, but the connection was terrible.  I figured that I could at least follow him to his destination and then go back to get you guys,” April said.

            “Why didn’t you turn back when you got to his lab?” Don asked.  “When you smelled the fumes coming through that door it should have warned you that it wasn’t a safe place to be.”

            “He has mutagen Donnie, a lot of it.  I wanted to see if there was anyone in there with him because I know how badly you need that ooze in order to create the retromutagen.  With what he has you could cure Timothy and Karai and Master Splinter and dozens of other people who’ve been transformed,” April said.

            “Stockman was alone,” Don told her.  “He must not want Shredder to know he has a new lab.  I’m sure Stockman is trying to create a retromutagen for himself.  The fact that the mutagen had no effect on you is probably why he wanted you as soon as he saw you.”

            “We can get the mutagen away from him if he’s alone,” April said, excitement in her voice.  “Let’s go back and help Casey catch Stockman.  We can lock him up and take the mutagen back to the lair.”

            She started to turn towards the door, but Don tightened his grip on her hand and stopped her.  “No.  Too many things could go wrong if you go back down there.  We aren’t going to take that chance.”

            April yanked her hand free, her blue eyes flashing at Don.  “I can take care of myself.  You don’t get to tell me what to do, Donatello.”

            “If you could take care of yourself Casey and I wouldn’t have had to pull you out of Stockman’s lab before you suffocated to death,” Don snapped, worry and frustration shortening his temper.

            “That just means we should do this as a team,” April insisted stubbornly.  “Casey’s already down there so let’s go help him.”

            April once more made a move towards the door but Don darted forward, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.  Eyes wide with surprise, April tried to pull away from him, but Don wrapped his arms around her and crushed her lips with his.

            Her muffled protest was cut short as Don pushed his tongue into her mouth.  April struggled, pushing at his plated chest with her small fists, but his only response was to slide a hand up to her neck to hold her head in place.

            They stared into each other’s eyes; Don’s filled with determination and April’s with obstinance.  Then April’s lids began to grow heavy and her struggles slowed.  In another moment she began to return Don’s kiss and her eyes closed completely.

            Don wasn’t sure where his aggressive forcefulness had come from, but it felt good to take charge like this.  His grip on her body tightened and April responded, rubbing her hands against his chest and shoulders before putting her arms around his neck.

            April moaned into their kiss and Don churred lightly.  When she pressed her chest against him, Don felt the rapid beating of her heart and shuddered in reaction.

            Don could practically feel her melting against him and his blood began to heat quickly.  If this was what it felt like to spiral out of control, he never wanted it to end.


	86. 86. Seeing Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,376  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The sound of the nearby door clicking shut barely registered in Don’s ears because his heartbeat was thrumming too loudly in them.  April’s fiery nature was driving her to demonstrate a passion Don had never experienced with her before.  He might have instigated the kiss, but she was quickly showing him that she could be aggressive too.

            “Man, the only thing better than watching this would be to participate,” Casey said, surprising the pair into breaking their lip lock.

            Retaining his hold on a blushing April, Don looked over and asked, “What took you so long?”

            There was a grin on Casey’s face that practically stretched from ear to ear.  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

            “Anytime,” Don responded with a grin of his own.  “How’d you ditch Stockman?”

            “The smoke screen threw him off long enough for me to make it to the door and knock that metal thing loose that ya’ had wedged in there.  He was almost on top of me when I slammed the door in his face but that fly is a lot stronger than he looks.  I had to wedge a hockey stick through the handle to keep him from getting out.  I’ve been losing a lot of hockey sticks lately,” Casey said.

            “Welcome to my world,” Don said.  “That doesn’t explain why you weren’t right behind us.”

            “I almost was, then I started to worry that you’d need to stop and check on April’s condition pretty quick.  Well, ya’ couldn’t do that if Stockman got out and started crawling up your backside,” Casey explained.  “I decided to leave a trail that would take him off in a different direction and after I did that I had to backtrack without messing up my handiwork.”

            “That was brilliant, Casey,” April said admiringly.

            “Watching the two of ya’ eat each other’s faces was a pretty nice reward for all my hard work,” Casey responded lasciviously.

            April unwound herself from Don’s arms, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at Casey.  “Next time it’s my turn to do the watching,” she told him saucily.

            Don felt himself blushing as he warily glanced at Casey, half afraid the boy would try to take her up on that right then and there.  It was strange to him how easily the two humans could roll so easily towards acceptance of whatever this was the three of them had going.  Maybe it was because they _were_ human and hadn’t had to live with so many limitations.

            “Pick the time and place and we’ll work something out, Red,” Casey said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

            Don cleared his throat, determined to interrupt them before the challenges they were shooting back and forth got any more risqué.  “We should get away from here in case Shredder was having Stockman watched,” he said.  “April, my brothers need to know you’re safe so they can go home before they run into anyone.”

            “But what about the mutagen?” April asked, her thoughts returning to the main reason she’d gone after Stockman in the first place.  “It’s getting harder for you to find canisters because so many others are looking for them too.  There’s an entire vat of the stuff in his lab.”

            “Once it’s dark outside we’ll come back here,” Don said.  “We’ll reconnoiter for Foot soldiers and then deal with Stockman.  Even if he wanted to relocate his lab he can’t do it in a few hours.  My brothers, Casey, and I can load up a bunch of canisters of the mutagen from his supply and bring it back to my lab.  But you don’t tag along, April.”

            April opened her mouth to protest, but Casey cut her off.  “He’s right and ya’ know it.  I know ya’ can kick some serious ass Red, and I’d hate to be the guy that got on your bad side.  Ya’ know we ain’t trying to leave ya’ out because we don’t respect your abilities.  We’re asking ya’ to step back because you’re at the top of the hit parade on the Kraang and Shredder’s kidnapping chart.”

            “It’s as much for our safety as it is for yours,” Don added in a gentle tone.  “With you along we can’t just concentrate on fighting.”

            For a minute it looked as if April might still balk, but then her face softened as she contemplated what they were telling her.

            “I suppose I could be just as helpful back at your lab getting things ready,” April said.

            Don smiled.  “That would save me a lot of time,” he said truthfully.  April had assisted him many times with his experiments in creating a retromutagen and knew exactly what he needed and where he needed it.

            They had just turned to head back to the lair when a shadowed figure blocked the sunshine coming in from the open skylight.  Before any of them could react, Leonardo silently landed directly in their path.

            From the expression on Leo’s face as he stared at them it was obvious that the turtle leader was seeing red.  Don could imagine how peeved he was to think that something horrific had happened to the three of them only to discover they were not only unharmed but also standing around an abandoned print shop in broad daylight.

            “Stockman is in there,” Don said hurriedly, pointing towards the door that led to the basement.  “The door goes to the basement and then to a service tunnel.  That eventually takes you to a sub-basement under another building.  The equipment in the service tunnel messed with the T-Phone signal.”

            “Stockman has a secret lab!” April said excitedly.  “He’s got a vat full of mutagen.”

            “There’s stuff in that lab that’ll knock ya’ on your ass if ya’ breathe it in for too long,” Casey said.  “That’s what happened to April.  We got her out of there and led Stockman off on a wild goose chase.”

            Leo hadn’t spoken during their recitation and it didn’t appear that their explanation had mollified him one bit.  From between clenched teeth he asked, “Where’s Raph?”

            “What?” Don asked, looking over at Casey and then back at his brother.  “Raph wasn’t with us.  We didn’t see him.”

            “I got enough of your signal to guess where you were,” Leo said, his voice tight.  “I called Raph because he was closest to you.  When he got near here he called me back to tell me he saw Foot soldiers going into the sewers.  He was going to come here to find you.”

            “We didn’t see any Foot soldiers either,” Don said in confusion.  “What about Mikey?”

            “I called and told him what was happening and to meet me here,” Leo replied.  “Raph wasn’t supposed to go down there by himself but he was upset about losing April.  He was upset because you chewed us out about it and he was trying to prove that you were wrong about us.”

            “Oh no!” Don exclaimed.  “I was letting off steam; he shouldn’t have taken it so seriously.  He was just as mad at me as I was at him.”

            “That doesn’t matter right now,” April said urgently.  “We have to find him and Mikey both.  The Foot, Stockman, that lab; none of that is a good combination.”

            Casey was already moving, yanking the basement door open and rocketing through without waiting for the others.  Leo was directly behind him, flying past Don who hesitated as he tried to decide if he should argue April into waiting there.

            “I don’t want to be by myself,” April told him, as if reading his mind.

            That clinched it; Don would rather know she was safe with him than alone if the Foot were about.  He took the lead and she followed close behind him, both of them reaching the basement as Casey was opening the door to the service tunnel.

            The next thing Don knew a hot puff of air was hitting his face and he was falling.  He heard April’s scream over the echo of a _whump_ that sounded like a giant clapping.

            As he fell backwards in what seemed like slow motion, Don saw Leo and Casey flying towards him, pushed away from the service tunnel by an enormous explosion.


	87. 87. Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,878  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The back of Don’s head throbbed from where it had connected with the concrete floor.  Next to him he heard April groan but his primary focus was on the rolling black smoke that was crawling across the ceiling overhead and the strong chemical odor that followed it.

            “Door,” Don croaked, shakily pushing himself up.  “Close the door!”

            Casey was closer but Leo was faster.  Jumping to his feet he did a forward flip onto his hands and sprang at the door, kicking it shut before he landed.

            “We’re not going that way,” Casey said, stating the obvious.

            Don helped April stand.  “You okay?” he asked.

            April nodded, rubbing the hip she’d bruised as she landed.

            “What happened?” Casey asked.

            “That had to have come from Stockman’s lab.  It had the same chemical smell,” Don answered.

            “Come on,” Leo said impatiently, already running for the door that led back to the print shop.  “We’ll get into the tunnels from another direction.”

            They raced after Leo, who wore a grim expression as he tore through the abandoned building and back out into the sewer tunnels.

            “Please let Raph and Mikey be safe,” April murmured under her breath.  When Don glanced at her she asked, “How big do you suppose that explosion was for it to have made it all the way down the service tunnel?”

            Don wanted to ease her worry, knowing from the tremor in her voice that Leo’s angry words about why Raph went off by himself had upset her.  He also knew that he had to be truthful with her because she wouldn’t appreciate anything less.

            “The door to Stockman’s lab wasn’t far from the service tunnel,” Don said.  “When the explosion occurred, the concussion from the blast pushed chemical gases into the tunnel.  The heavy concrete walls acted like a conduit for the fumes, super heating them into a combustible rolling ball that exploded when it hit the oxygen from the partially opened door into the basement.”

            “The service tunnel dead ended at a T,” April said.  “Stockman’s lab was on the left.  How far to the right do you think the tunnel went?”

            “I’m not sure,” Don said.  “The service tunnel wasn’t connected into the main sewer system; it fed through tunnels connected to buildings in the area.  You can get into most of the basements through the sewers though.  If the Foot went in that way then Raph might have guessed where they were going and followed them.  He knows the tunnel system in this area really well.”

            So did Leo, who was leading them on a twisting course through the tunnels which connected all of the structures in the vicinity.  He quickly reached another metal maintenance door and unsheathed one of his katanas as he yanked the door open.

            They entered a wide passageway off of which several long corridors branched out.  There were staircases dotted along it at intervals and Don guessed that each led into a different building.

            Leo was tense and moving fast.  Casey managed to keep up with him by virtue of his long legs, but Don slowed so that he wouldn’t lose April.  He could still see Casey and when the boy suddenly pulled his bat, Don whipped out his bo staff.

            A second later the sound of fighting reached him.  “Stay back!” Don told April, sparing a glance in her direction to make sure she’d listened.

            April’s tessen was in her hand, but she backed against the wall and nodded at him.  Confident that she wouldn’t come after him, Don rushed forward.

            Don saw the gleam of Leo’s swords first and then realized his brother was right in the middle of a sea of Foot bots.  Casey was still on Don’s side of the tunnel, his bat swinging left and right as fast as the boy could wield it.

            Close quarter fighting against Shredder’s enhanced robotic soldiers wasn’t ideal, but they didn’t have a choice.  Over the other sounds Don heard Mikey’s voice, his fast talking jibes a good indication that he was in the midst of the battle.

            As Don entered the fray he pressed the switch that released the blade on his staff, turning it into a naginata.  Piercing the skull of the nearest Foot bot, Don realized that he hadn’t heard Raph yet.

            Clenching fear gripped Don’s gut and he began moving faster, Casey and him fighting nearly shoulder to shoulder.  The knowledge that April was behind them made the pair vicious in their determination that none of the Foot get past them.

            “Leo!” Mikey cried out, his relief at spotting his brother coming through clearly in his tone.

            Dodging the swing from a Foot bots kama, Don brought his blade down on the bots neck, slicing its head off.  He saw Casey bounce another bots head off the concrete wall, his bat smacking the head a second time as it ricocheted back at him.

            The passageway suddenly cleared.  Leo sliced the last standing bot in half as Mikey, covered in soot, yanked his kusarigama out of the bot he’d just destroyed.

            Breathing hard, Leo asked sharply, “Where’s Raph?”

            “Over here,” Mikey said, running back to where his brother sat propped against the wall.

            As Leo squatted next to Raph, Don slid his bo into place against his shell and raced over to join him.  Kneeling on Raph’s other side Don lifted one of his eyelids while Leo checked his pulse.

            “What happened to him?” Don asked.

            “Stockman and the Foot bots were back there fighting,” Mikey said, pointing in the direction of Stockman’s lab, “and Raph ran right into the middle of it.  I was still back here trying to catch up to him when Stockman went through a door and some of the bots followed him.  Raph started pulling at the door but it was locked and just as he was about to jam his sai in the keyhole, something exploded.  The whole door blew off and hit him and then he flew back towards me.

            “The door saved both of us from this huge fireball, but Raph got knocked out and l had to shove the door off of him.  I dragged him this far before some more of the Foot showed up.  Don’t go down that tunnel ‘cause it smells awful.”

            “He’s got a nasty bump on his head and he might have inhaled some of those fumes,” Don said.  “We need to get him back to the lair.”

            Don grabbed an arm to start to lift Raph, but Leo pushed him back.  “I’ve got him.”

            Surprised, Don glanced up and saw immediately that Leo was furious.  His oldest brother rarely grew this angry anymore, but at the moment he wasn’t trying to conceal his temper.

            “We have to move fast, Leo,” Don said in a gentle tone, trying to reason with him.  “Some more of the Foot might appear or even Shredder himself.  You can’t carry him by yourself.”

            Leo’s blue eyes flashed but before he could snap at Don, Casey slid in under Raph’s free arm, taking half of his weight.  “Find us the fastest way out of here, Donnie,” the boy said.

            April was where Don had left her and her eyes widened upon seeing Raph.  She opened her mouth to ask Don what had happened, but Mikey scooted out in front of her.  When he shook his head she bit off whatever she’d planned to say and waited silently with him until the others had gone past.  Mikey and April fell in line behind the procession.

            Since it was still light outside Don led them out to the sewer tunnels and then found the quickest way home.  They didn’t run into anymore of the Foot and there was no sign of Stockman either.  From Mikey’s story all that Don could infer was that scientist was killed in the blast.

            Upon reaching the lair, the group took Raph directly to Don’s lab.  Mr. O’Neil and Don had started to build an infirmary in one corner and all of their medical supplies had been moved there.  They lay Raph down on the new cot that April’s father had brought them and Don grabbed a flashlight so he could once more check Raph’s pupils.

            Leo carefully placed Raph’s sai on a side table and then lifted one of his brother’s hands, holding it between both of his.  As Don started to take Raph’s vital signs, Leo said, “Master Splinter can take care of him.”

            “No,” Don replied, noticing that Leo hadn’t bothered to look up at him.  The abruptness of the response made Leo lift his head quickly.

            “He’s taken care of us all these years, he can care for Raph now,” Leo insisted.

            Without pausing, Don told him adamantly, “Master Splinter taught you to lead and leaves that job to you.  He taught me to be our doctor and I’m going to do my job.  I know we had a disagreement, but Raph’s still my brother.  This is what I do best, let me do it.”

            Don could almost feel Leo’s anger recede, replaced by worry.  He didn’t say anything, merely giving Don a curt nod before looking back down at Raph’s face.  Not once while Don ministered to his unconscious brother did Leo leave Raph’s side or relinquish his grip on Raph’s hand.

            Mikey came in as Don was bandaging Raph’s head.  He’d rinsed the soot off of his body and Don was relieved because he’d meant to tell him to do just that.  There was no telling what chemicals had accumulated on the soot and giving Raph a sponge bath was next on the agenda.

            “I told sensei what happened,” Mikey said softly, as though afraid to wake Raph.  “He’s double checking that April is okay ‘cause he said Don is capable of taking care of Raph.  Is he okay?”

            “Still unconscious,” Don said.  “He took a hard knock to the head but all of his vital signs are within optimum range.”

            The three brothers were silent as they each contemplated Raphael.  It always pained them terribly to see one of their siblings hurt, no matter how they were getting along at the moment.

            Finally Mikey sighed.  “We need some food,” he said.  “I’m gonna make us something to eat.”

            “I’m not hungry,” Leo said quickly.

            “I don’t want to leave Raph just yet,” Don said almost simultaneously.

            “You’re both going to eat anyway,” Mikey said, insistent.  “It’ll make you feel better.”

            “Food doesn’t solve everything, Mikey,” Don said.

            “It solves hunger,” Mikey said complacently, adding, “and getting April to help me make something will get her mind off of feeling bad about Raph.”

            Don had to hand it to his brother; Mikey did have the most uncanny vision when it came to food.  He’d used it to help tame Leatherhead and it was his go-to weapon when one of his siblings was mad at him.  Mikey was right about this too; April needed something constructive to do.

            “We’ll eat,” Don acquiesced meekly, watching his brother bounce happily towards the door.

            “Mikey,” Leo called out just before his brother left the room.

            Turning, Mikey replied, “Yeah?”

            “Could you make some of Raph’s favorite food?” Leo asked.

            Mikey grinned widely.  “Will do!”


	88. 88. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,098  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Raph remained unconscious through the night and Leo did not move from his bedside.  When Don realized that Leo wasn’t going anywhere he’d pulled a chair over so his brother could at least be comfortable.

            Somehow Mikey had talked Leo into eating something, a feat that no one else had managed, not even Master Splinter.  Don decided that in some ways his youngest brother was a genius too.

            Don had cared for Raph’s wound as best he could.  He had a secondary fear that Raph’s carapace might have been cracked during the explosion so with Leo’s help they had rolled Raph onto his side.  While Leo held him, Don had examined Raph’s shell and then breathed a sigh of relief upon finding it undamaged.

            Master Splinter had spent considerable time in the infirmary, standing to one side as Don worked.  This silent observation hadn’t unnerved Don in the least, in fact he felt reassured knowing that his father was there.  Don could almost sense his father’s approval and that helped to make the young genius more confident that he was doing the right things.

            Don hoped that having Master Splinter there would also soothe Leo’s anxiety, but it was hard to tell.  Leo was so fully focused on Raphael that he didn’t bother to acknowledge anyone else’s presence unless they addressed him directly.

            It had been Leo who had stripped and bathed Raph, carefully and meticulously removing every speck of dirt from his body.  His touch was gentle and loving and watching the simple act moved Don deeply.  There was also something inherently erotic in the way Leo stroked Raph’s skin with the wet sponge and after a few minutes, Don felt himself blushing and had to look away.

            Since Master Splinter was there while Leo was cleaning Raph, Don kept his face averted from his father’s gaze as well.  He wondered if Master Splinter would see what Don had seen, or if Don’s knowledge about his brother’s relationship was coloring every interaction he witnessed between the two.  Leo certainly seemed unconcerned that his father was watching him.

            It was not quite dawn topside when Mr. O’Neil arrived at the lair bringing more medical supplies and equipment for the infirmary.  He also brought the things that April had packed and then forgotten in her room when she chased off after Stockman.

            Don found a tall curio cabinet in a stack of old furniture that he’d set aside and carried it into the infirmary so that he’d have a place for all the new supplies.  Along with the other things he’d brought, Mr. O’Neil had dropped by a thrift shop and bought a stack of linens.  April confiscated some of them and spent part of the morning sewing them together to create curtains.

            Casey came back mid-morning, having spent the night at his own apartment.  He reported that his mom was doing well and had gone to work.  April immediately requisitioned him to help Don hang the new curtains in the infirmary, thus creating a partition that separated the space from the rest of Don’s lab.

            At one point April had gone to stand next to Leo.  She didn’t say anything to him as she looked down at Raph, but Don saw that there were tears in her eyes.  Something told him to stay back; to give them the private moment even though he would have liked to comfort her.  After a few minutes she leaned over and placed a kiss on Raph’s cheek before whispering to him.

            She was backing away to leave when Leo reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders.  April looked at him in surprise, but there was hope in her expression as well.  Leo offered her a wan smile, his tired eyes just a little too bright, but the message in them was clear.  All was forgiven.

            Don left the curtained area then and stayed away until April came out.  She was wiping tears off of her cheeks and Don turned his attention to some papers so as not to embarrass her.  When she was gone from the lab, Don got up from his chair and went back to the infirmary.

            During the night he’d managed to get a couple of hours of sleep, but Leo hadn’t rested at all.  Being the family doctor meant more than just patching up one of his brothers when they were wounded; he felt obligated to ensure their health on all levels.  The irony of that wasn’t lost on him considering how often he had to be fussed at for not sleeping.

            Taking a deep breath, Don walked over to Raph’s bedside.  After checking his pulse and temperature, he looked directly at Leo and said, “He’s still perfectly stable, but you look as though you’re about to fall off of that chair.  Why don’t you go lie down?”

            Leo shook his head stubbornly.  “I want to know as soon as he wakes up.”

            “Then take a short nap on the couch,” Don suggested.  “You won’t be far and I’ll stay right here with him.  I promise that Raph won’t be left alone.”

            “He needs to see me,” Leo said.

            “He needs to know you’re well too, and right now you look like death warmed over,” Don said.  “Do you want him to feel bad about worrying you?  Besides, I want him to know that everything is okay between us; I want him to see that I’m here for him no matter what.”

            Leo studied him for a moment, seeming to gauge the sincerity of Don’s words.  Finally he stood up, kissing the back of Raph’s hand before tucking it beneath the blanket.  He stretched and then blinked in astonishment at discovering that he was wobbly on his feet.

            “Maybe I _should_ lie down,” Leo admitted.  “Call me when he wakes up.”

            It didn’t pass Don’s notice that Leo said ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.  “I will.  Don’t worry, he’s in good hands.”

            The look in Leo’s eyes was softer than it had been in days when they met Don’s.  “I know he is.”

            There was a lump in Don’s throat that made words impossible as he watched Leo leave.  With a shuddering sigh, he moved around the bed and took the chair that his brother had vacated.

            Don spent a half hour in deep contemplation, looking back over everything that had happened to them since Casey Jones had come into their lives.  It was almost as if the human boy had brought with him a great awakening, something that had begun with April but was slow moving until Casey forced the issue.

            That thought brought about an epiphany; what Leo had tried to explain to him was true, he and Raph’s feelings for each other had begun long ago.  Though that was the case, it had never really interfered with the dynamic between brothers.  Even the taunting about the ‘A’ team versus the ‘B’ team was mere brotherly grandstanding and more about the competitive nature of the two older turtles.

            “Geez Raph, I’m such a dork,” Don said out loud.  He glanced at Raph, seeing how still his brother was and an ache formed in his chest.  “I’m sorry, bro’.  It wasn’t your fault that April chased after Stockman, she should have known better and I’m pretty sure she does now.  Having to be on constant guard for the rest of our lives kind of sucks, it’s only fair we get to enjoy the little we have when we can get it.”

            He paused for a moment, not sure why he felt the need to speak his thoughts.  Somehow saying what he felt lessened the pain of his guilt and he continued.

            “I really had no idea that Casey liked me that way or that his feelings were messing with your plans,” Don said.  “For a while I even thought he was into you to begin with and was switching his interest and that’s why you were mad at me.  I’m a real genius, aren’t I?

            “This has all been very confusing.  I know that’s not a good reason for being a jerk about you and Leo but at the time I was being selfish and only worried about myself.  I should have understood how much you needed to be with Leo because that’s exactly how I’ve felt about April since I met her.  I guess part of it was that I was jealous you two managed to connect while I was still struggling to find a way to make something work with her.

            “I always act like I’m really open minded about stuff but I sure wasn’t as soon as I found out you and Leo wanted to be together.  I guess if we were human my argument that we’re brothers would have some merit, but we’re turtles.  I know enough about that from my research to know that what the two of you have isn’t all that uncommon.

            “I should have been supportive but I was all wrapped up in my own little drama and just couldn’t deal with anything else changing.  Maybe if I didn’t come across as so judgmental you might have confided in me and let me help you and Leo work your feelings out with words instead of you having to come up with some elaborate plan involving Casey.  Even Mikey was smarter than me; he figured everything out and plotted to make it easier for you guys.

            “I promise I won’t be uptight about it anymore, just wake up, okay?  We all really need you, especially Leo.  You know how he is; he’s not going to let go of what he has with you now that he’s acknowledged it.  The two of you are stuck with each other forever and that works better if you’re actually awake.”

            Don looked anxiously at Raph, trying to see some sign that his brother was coming out of it.  The word ‘coma’ came unbidden into his mind and he shoved it away with a quivering breath.  He was determined not to let that kind of pessimism invade his thoughts.

            Leaning back in the chair, Don stared up at the ceiling and tried to relax.  After a couple of minutes he realized that some sound was disturbing him and straightened up to look around.  It was then he discovered that what he’d heard was a groan and that it was coming from Raph.

            Standing up quickly, Don stared at his brother and saw Raph’s eyelids flicker.  A rush of excitement flooded Don’s veins as Raph’s head moved and then his eyes opened.

            “Take it easy,” Don said, pressing a hand to Raph’s shoulder that so his brother wouldn’t try to get up.  “You took a bad blow to the head.”

            “My headache already told me that, genius,” Raph said, his voice cracking slightly.

            Don grabbed the glass of water that sat nearby, a straw already in it in case Raph woke.  He offered it to his brother who took several sips before pushing it away with his tongue.

            “How much pain are you in?” Don asked.

            “Enough,” Raph replied with a chuckle that ended in a wince.  “It’s better than being dead.”

            Don felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.  “Raph, I want to apologize for . . . .”

            “Save it,” Raph said, interrupting him.  “I heard everything you said a few minutes ago.  I let you talk ‘cause my head hurt and I figured you’d be less embarrassed if you thought I was still out of it.  We’re all good, Donny.  I did some wrong things too, like being mad at you over Casey when I should have known you were clueless.”

            “Clueless is a good word for it,” Don said with a laugh, blinking the moisture away.  “Here, see if you can swallow these pills, they’ll help with the headache.”

            He placed a couple of pain relievers in Raph’s mouth and then held the water for him again.

            “Thanks,” Raph said after swallowing.  “You’d better get Leo now or he’ll skin you with his katanas for not letting him know I’m awake.”

            “He told me pretty much the same thing,” Don said with a smile.  The smile faded as another thought came to him.  “When are you and Leo going to talk to Master Splinter about this?”

            Raph didn’t get the chance to answer as another voice cut in.  “Talk to me about what?”

            Don spun around to see Master Splinter standing just inside the infirmary, with a very anxious faced Leo right behind him.


	89. 89. Through the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,276  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Raph mumbled something unintelligible in response to Master Splinter’s question and Leo skirted around him, moving quickly towards his brother.

            Don stepped aside, letting Leo take his place next to Raph.  “He just woke up, Leo.  He’s got a bad headache and I’ve given him something for the pain.  Maybe in a little while we can get him to eat.”

            “I am happy to hear that Raphael is doing better,” Master Splinter said as he walked farther into the room.  “Perhaps you would excuse us, Donatello.  I believe your brothers and I are over-do for a very long and private talk.”

            Don glanced swiftly at Leo and saw the look of determination that had settled on his face.  Raph appeared to have seen it as well because his hand snaked out from beneath the blanket to catch hold of Leo’s.

            Without another word, Don slipped out of the curtained area and then made a bee-line for the door.  Once he was out of the lab, he closed the door so that no one else would go inside and interrupt his father.

            Staring at the door for a moment, Don discovered that he was surprised at Master Splinter’s abrupt request to be alone with Leo and Raph.  It sounded to him as if his father was saying he knew about the two of them already.  Master Splinter had certainly given no indication of that when he and Don had talked.

            Suddenly feeling very tired, Don shuffled over to the couch and sat down.  The lair was unnaturally quiet and he had no idea where everyone else was.  Slumping back against the cushions Don stretched his legs out in front of him, adopting the most comfortable position possible without actually lying down, and closed his eyes.

            He had no idea how long he was like that before he felt someone sit down next to him.  It didn’t take even a second for him to realize it was April; her scent and weight displacement would have told him that even if he hadn’t been able to sense her presence.

            Opening his eyes, Don turned his head to look at her and April smiled up at him.  Moving closer, she curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.  When her eyes drifted shut, Don draped an arm across her shoulders and leaned back again.  Feeling completely content, Don started to doze off.

            Once more time drifted by unchecked.  Another presence pulled Don out of a light sleep but this time he was too comfortable to open his eyes.  He could tell that it was Casey, who he hadn’t seen in a while.  When Don had taken a quick lunch break earlier Casey had already disappeared, probably to go check on his mom.

            “This thing between ya’ two is moving pretty fast,” Casey said, keeping his voice down.  “First I catch ya’ making out and now you’re sleeping together.”

            Don opened his eyes, ready with a quick rejoinder, but the sight of Casey blew the words right out of his mouth.  Casey was wearing a nurse’s cap, a white scrub top over his t-shirt, and carrying a cheap plastic medic’s bag.

            The laughter that burst out of Don was completely spontaneous.  Casey stood there grinning mischievously at him, making his ludicrous appearance that much more hilarious.  April sat up straight as she stared at Casey and began giggling.  Don knew the inside joke was lost on her, but Casey’s get-up was funny in and of itself.

            “I thought I’d help ya’ take care of Raph,” Casey explained, striking a pose that sent Don into further gales of laughter, “but Mikey said he’s awake.  Anyone else here need urgent care?”

            “Not from you,” April said, still gurgling with mirth.  “I’ll bet you don’t know which end of a stethoscope is which.”

            “I don’t even know what a steth . . . steth . . . whatsis is,” Casey said, plopping down on the couch on Don’s other side.  “I know how to use both kinds of thermometers though,” he added, wiggling his eyebrows at the turtle.

            “Wow, nice innuendo,” April said with a touch of humorous sarcasm, beginning to catch on to the inside joke.

            “Wanna see how well I can treat a chest cold?” Casey shot back, grinning even wider.

            “You don’t really have anything in that bag, do you?” April asked, reaching across Don to grab at it.

            Casey yanked it away and told her, “It’s full of candy that I use to lure unsuspecting teenage girls.”

            “I thought you relied entirely on your charming personality,” April replied with a laugh.

            “That’s something I reserve for cute yet naïve ninja turtles,” Casey said, rubbing his shoulder against Don’s.

            Don snorted.  “Maybe the turtle isn’t naïve, maybe he’s just immune.”

            Casey’s expression changed to one of mock outrage.  “No one is immune to my charm,” he said, pressing a hand to his chest.  “It’s my secret super power.”

            “It’s so secret we forgot to notice it,” April said, giggling as she wrapped her arm through Don’s.

            “I won’t ever dress up for either of ya’ again,” Casey said with a fake pout.

            Don eyed him, suddenly feeling devilish.  “Want to bet?” he asked.

            Casey’s jaw dropped before he let out a loud guffaw.  “Donnie’s getting into the spirit of things,” he said.  “Look at what I’m wearing and tell me if ya’ think I’d actually take that bet.”

            “Don’t you want to know what I had in mind?” Don asked impishly.

            “Oh, I do!” April said quickly, her eyes sparkling.

            “I get it,” Casey said, eyes narrowed as he nodded knowingly.  “The two of ya’ are ganging up on me.”

            “And?” April asked defiantly, smiling at him.

            “And I like it!” Casey said, draping himself partly across Don so that he could tickle her.

            Don had just decided that he was going to find out if Casey was ticklish too when the lab door opened and Master Splinter came out.  He was rapidly followed by Leo, who appeared to have further business with his father, though Don couldn’t tell if that was by request or if Leo was unsatisfied with their previous conversation.

            Placing a hand on Casey’s shoulder, Don gave it a quick warning squeeze and the boy immediately sat back.  April picked up on the message as well and looked over in time to see Master Splinter disappear into his room with Leo right on his tail.

            Casey’s eyes were turned in that direction as well.  “Does he know about them?” he asked.

            Don took a deep breath and exhaled.  “He chased me out of there so he could talk to them.  I can’t tell how that went.”

            April was looking from one to the other of them, puzzled.  “Does Master Splinter know what about them?”

            There was a moment of silence and then Casey said, “Tell her.  She deserves to know.”

            “This could take a while,” Don said, looking worriedly towards the lab.

            Casey jumped up and snatched the nurse’s cap off of his head, shedding the scrub top too and dropping both on the couch.  “I’ll go talk to Raph.”

            April and Don watched Casey go into the lab and then their eyes turned back towards each other.  There was an expectant look on April’s face that told Don it was time to come completely clean with her.

            Don, April, and Casey had already been through the fire together on a number of occasions.  The one thing they hadn’t done well was to talk to one another and Don decided this was a good time to start.


	90. 90. Triangle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,288  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            April settled in comfortably next to Don, letting him know that she wasn’t going anywhere for a while.  Don struggled for a moment as he tried to figure out where to start and then decided that the beginning was as good a place as any.

            He told her about the misgivings he’d had upon first meeting Casey; about his jealousy over the amount of attention Casey was paying to her and how she seemed to be enjoying it.  Don didn’t try to skip over his darker emotions; he wanted her to understand him because he didn’t believe a relationship could thrive on half-truths.

            Don described his interactions with Casey and how at first he’d thought the boy was taunting him because he saw the turtle as a rival for April’s affections.  He said that was one of the things that annoyed Don; that he felt Casey was trying to make him look bad in front of April.

            That led to Don’s difficulties with Raph and how his brother seemed so angry with him.  Don explained that he’d thought it was because Raph believed he was trying to steal his best friend.  Though Don thought he’d made it clear that he wasn’t and had even tried to avoid Casey so that Raph wouldn’t be angry anymore, it was Casey himself who sought out Don’s company.

            Then Don told April about how during a conversation with Casey he’d come to think that perhaps Casey and Raph were involved in a relationship.  Casey had admitted that he liked both sexes and that April had attracted his attention.  Don explained how he wasn’t very happy about that and then when it escalated to the point where Casey confessed to liking him, Don had grown angry.

            So many things had happened that Don didn’t get the chance to have the type of confrontation over that with Casey that he’d meant to have.  When he finally did talk to Casey, the boy had told him he wasn’t interested in Raph and vice versa.  Casey had told him straight up that he wanted to be with Don.

            As Don talked, April kept her eyes focused squarely on him, squeezing his arm in encouragement whenever he faltered or appeared embarrassed.  The fact that she didn’t seem to be judging him kept him talking; on through Mikey’s hints, the secret that Casey was keeping for Raph and wouldn’t tell Don about, and the kisses they’d shared.

            Finally Don reached the part where he’d learned that Raph and Casey had come up with a convoluted scheme to make Leo jealous and it was all because Raph was in love with his brother.  When Don told April this, he watched her face carefully, wondering how she would take that news.

            April blinked and her brow furrowed slightly.  “Trying to make Leo jealous implies that Leo feels that same way about Raph.  Is that what Casey meant when he asked if Master Splinter knew about them?”

            “Yes.  Raph’s plan didn’t go exactly as he’d meant for it to, but the end result was the same.  He and Leo are together.  I wasn’t very accepting of it and we argued and then when you went missing, I said some pretty ugly things to them.  I accused them of being more interested in having se . . . being intimate than in doing their job,” Don said.

            “And that’s why Raph went off on his own to find me, because he felt guilty?” April asked.

            “I’ve known him all our lives, I should have realized he’d react that way,” Don said.  “They’ve loved each other since we were kids and never did anything to compromise our team.  I should have known they wouldn’t start now.  I think I was mostly upset that they’d solved their problem and admitted their feelings for each other.”

            “Why would that upset you?”  April was staring at him, her eyes bright and wide.

            Don cleared his throat, finding it difficult to talk about his own confused feelings.  “Because I . . . I care for you April.  I have since I first laid eyes on you.  I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to be with you.  To me that was an easy thing to understand and I spent all of my time hoping you’d see me like that someday too.  Then Casey came along and I thought I’d lose you to him because he’s human.

            “Then out of the blue he says he likes me and I start to have feelings for him . . . I still don’t know what this is that’s happening with the three of us.  Seeing Leo and Raph together in a way that could change our family scared me because I was already floundering.”

            “Casey and I kissed while you were taking care of Raph,” April admitted.  “He told me before that he likes me and I told him the same.  He also told me that he wants to be with you too, more than anything he’s ever wanted in his life.”

            “This is kind of . . . .” Don began.

            “Nuts?” April said, finishing for him.

            Don nodded, a sheepish grin on his face.  “Are you still trying to decide who you want to be with?”

            April gave him an enigmatic look.  “I could ask you that too, but I think you’ve reached the same conclusion that I have.  We’re in a love triangle aren’t we, Donnie?”

            “I’ll do anything not to lose you, April,” Don said quickly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

            “I don’t think love should ever include the fear of losing someone because of a choice we’ve made,” April said firmly.  “If Casey hadn’t opened my eyes to the possibility of being with someone, I would never have realized how I feel about you.”

            “He is kind of gifted that way,” Don said with a laugh.

            April giggled with him and then sobered.  “Do you suppose Leo and Raph feel for each other the way that we do?”

            “I’m trying to wrap my head around that,” Don said.  “It’s hard to imagine that two of my brothers have that kind of attraction for each other.”

            “Don’t be upset with them anymore, please?” April pleaded.  “I wandered off without telling them when I knew they were waiting for me.  Those two have saved me plenty of times and really, none of you should have to keep doing that.  You remember how you felt when I blamed you guys for what happened to my dad and was so angry that I said I never wanted to see you again.  I didn’t mean it.  Anger is irrational.”

            Don smiled.  “I’m not angry at them.  I’ve apologized to Raph and I’ll do the same with Leo when I get the chance.”

            He was going to add something when the door to Master Splinter’s room slid open and Leo stepped out.  The expression on his face could best be described as grim and after he’d closed the door, Leo went directly towards the lab without looking at anyone.

            In almost a whisper, April asked, “That doesn’t look good.  What do you suppose he said to Leo?”

            “I don’t know.  Whatever it was I’ve decided that I’m going to stand with Leo and Raph on this,” Don said decisively.  “I’m going to stop being a barrier to their happiness.”

            April lunged towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  Don held her gratefully, relishing the feel of her small, soft body in his arms.

            “I love you, Donnie,” April whispered into his ear.

            Don’s breath left him.  Those were the most beautiful words he’d ever heard in his life.


	91. 91. Drowning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,396  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don could easily have remained on the couch with his arms around April for hours without feeling the need to move.  There was nothing he wanted more than to turn his brain off, relinquish his responsibilities, and simply enjoy holding his girl.

            _His girl_.  That had a nice ring to it and Don found himself smiling against April’s neck.

            Mikey’s excited babbling and the click of the turnstile made both Don and April look in that direction.  When they realized that Irma was with him, the pair separated, getting up to walk over to where Mikey and Irma were standing.

            Don noted that Mikey had a solid grip on Irma’s hand and that she was beaming happily at him.  It was pretty obvious that they were both smitten.

            “I asked Irma to dinner,” Mikey stated proudly, “and she said she’d help me make it.”

            “Is it that late already?” Don asked, having lost track of time.

            Mikey shot him a knowing look.  “It’s dark out bro’.  How’s Raph?”

            “Casey and Leo are in there with him at the moment,” Don said.  “He’s got a headache but otherwise he’s fine.”

            “Cool.”  Turning to look at Irma who was talking to April in an undertone, he said, “Let’s go create a culinary masterpiece.”

            “Lead the way,” Irma said, hooking her free arm through one of April’s and pulling her along with them to the kitchen.

            Don watched them for a minute, trying to decide if he’d join them or go in to check on Raph.  As he was trying to make up his mind, something on the tracks caught his eye and he realized that the Shellraiser was parked there.

            “I’m glad Irma likes Mikey so much,” Casey said as he walked up to stand next to Don.  “Keeps her out of my hair.”

            He noticed that Don was looking at the Shellraiser and grinned.  “Me and Raph went after it yesterday morning while you were asleep.  It wasn’t as messed up as we thought so it didn’t take us long to fix that wheel rim.”

            “Hmm,” Don murmured, a bare acknowledgment that he’d heard Casey.

            Casey had been examining his handiwork but Don’s lack of a response made him turn towards the turtle.  Don had a faraway look in his eyes, as if something was on his mind.

            When Don started walking towards the Shellraiser, Casey automatically followed him.  They went through the turnstiles and down the steps before Don stopped near the vehicle.

            “What are ya’ thinking about?” Casey finally asked.

            “I could carry a lot of mutagen back to the lair in this,” Don said.

            “O~kay,” Casey said, completely perplexed.  “Where were ya’ planning on getting some?”

            Don’s eyes darted towards the boy and then back to the Shellraiser.  Casey’s mouth dropped open as it dawned on him what it was that Don was thinking.

            “Are ya’ nuts?” Casey demanded.  “That stuff got blown up along with everything else.”

            “We don’t know that for sure,” Don said, his mouth set stubbornly.  “It’s been over thirty hours, if anyone went to investigate the explosion they’re probably gone by now.  I could go take a quick look.”

            “Not alone you won’t,” Casey told him.

            “If anyone else is near Stockman’s lab we’ll leave without calling attention to ourselves,” Don said, excited by his idea.

            “Ya’ gonna tell somebody that we’re leaving?” Casey asked.

            Don shook his head.  “Master Splinter or Leo might say no, or Leo might want to go with us.  Raph doesn’t need to be moving around but he wouldn’t let Leo leave the lair without him.  If we tell Mikey he’ll think it’s an adventure and that means the two girls would want to come.  April certainly doesn’t need to be anywhere around that lab.”

            “So when do ya’ wanna do this?”  Casey was looking towards the lair to see if anyone was curious about where they’d gone.

            “If we’re going to go then it should be now while everyone else is busy,” Don said.

            “Hang on then, let me grab my stuff,” Casey said, trotting up the steps and grabbing his bag from where he’d dropped it just inside the entrance.

            Don hopped into the Shellraiser and Casey followed along, sliding the door shut behind him.

            “They’re gonna hear ya’ start this up,” Casey warned, sitting at the weapons station.

            “Not if I put it into silent mode,” Don said, switching on the engine.  “I just added that feature, seems appropriate for ninjas don’t you think?”

            Casey grinned as the Shellraiser rolled silently forward, moving away from the lair without attracting anyone’s attention.

            “Where exactly are ya’ going?” Casey asked.

            Don maneuvered the vehicle up to the street.  “We can park on one of the side streets nearest the building where Stockman had his lab,” Don answered.  “If no one’s around, we’ll slip into the tunnels and use the maintenance doors to access the sub-basement level where we found Raph and Mikey.”

            Casey looked over at Don.  “And if someone is around?”

            With a shrug, Don said, “I guess we go home empty handed.”

            “We could always park somewhere and make out,” Casey offered suggestively.

            “You have a one track mind,” Don said with a hint of amusement.

            “Sometime ya’ should follow my _train_ of thought,” Casey quipped.

            Don made a face at him.  “That was terrible.”

            They were still joking with each other when Don found a place where he could park the Shellraiser out of sight.  Using the surveillance equipment built into the vehicle, he checked for any sign of the Foot, the Kraang, or the police.  Seeing no one, he and Casey left the Shellraiser and proceeded down into the sewers.

            Silently the pair gained access to the maintenance tunnels, coming out near where they’d rescued Don’s brothers.  Proceeding cautiously, they stepped over and around singed Foot bot parts as they approached the opening to Stockman’s lab.

            Don glanced at the metal door as he passed it, noting how the heavy door had buckled under the weight of the blast that had hit it.  He gave silent thanks for the fact that Raph had a hard head to go along with his strong body.

            Reaching the entrance to the lab, Don and Casey peered down into what was left of it.  The room looked like a complete disaster area, the catwalk a mangled mess of metal lying on the floor, pieces of lab equipment scattered as far as the eye could see, and everything covered in ash from the flash fire created by the burning chemicals.

            “I’m sorry Donnie, but this looks like a total loss,” Casey said.

            Don was about to agree with him when a bluish glow caught the corner of his eye.  Staring hard at the location where the vat of mutagen had once been, Don saw that although the vat had overturned and the upper part smashed, the bottom was intact.

            “I see mutagen down there,” Don said excitedly.  “There’s some pooled in the bottom of the vat that Stockman was storing it in.”

            “How are we gonna get down there?” Casey asked.

            Looking directly below him, Don saw that the catwalk nearest the opening was still attached to the wall, it was just hanging straight down.

            “We can hang on to the rails and climb down,” Don said.  He slid the strap of the duffel bag he was carrying off his shoulder and slipped it across his chest instead.  Shifting its weight to his shell, Don crawled over the edge of the opening and grasped the catwalk’s handrails.

            Though the metal creaked and groaned in protest, it held solid as Don made his way to the ground.  Gingerly avoiding the junk that was scattered around, Don moved out of the way as Casey climbed down to join him.

            “Watch where you step,” Don warned.

            “I ain’t the one without shoes,” Casey said.  “Ya’ want me to carry you?”

            “No I don’t want you to carry me,” Don said, working his way over to the vat.  “I can only imagine where that would go.”

            “Me too, that’s why I offered,” Casey said with a snicker.

            Don noticed more Foot bots parts lying here and there, almost as if they’d been sprinkled over everything in the lab.  Somewhere in the back of his mind was the thought that the air was too fresh, but Don was so focused on reaching the vat that he dismissed it.

            There was a heavy metal table and a small cooling unit lying across the sides of the vat and with Casey’s help, Don shoved them out of the way.  The glow of the mutagen pulsed up at him once the debris was cleared out of the way and Don was delighted to see that there was a good amount left.

            Setting the duffel bag on the ground, Don unzipped it and began pulling out the empty mutagen canisters than he’d brought along.  While he filled them, Casey wandered around, careful about where he walked and keeping his hands to himself.

            “I think I’m going to have enough to create another two doses of the retromutagen,” Don said enthusiastically.

            “Great,” Casey replied, without the same level of excitement.  “This place gives me the creeps, are ya’ almost done?”

            “Filling the last one now,” Don said.  As he waited, Don glanced around.  Near where he was squatting was an overturned file cabinet and Don could just see loose paper and what looked like the corner of a file folder.

            Stuffing the filled canisters into the duffel bag, Don stood up and waited for Casey to  join him.

            “Are we out of here?” Casey asked.

            Don handed him the duffel bag.  “Could you take that out to the Shellraiser?  I see some papers that I’d like to grab before we leave.  They might tell me what Stockman was up to.”

            “Make it fast okay?”  Casey took the duffel bag and started for the catwalk.  “I don’t like it here.”

            As Casey began pulling himself back up the catwalk, Don bent down to shift the file cabinet out of his way.  It proved to be surprisingly heavy, so he wedged his bo staff under one side, using it as a lever to lift the cabinet slightly.

            Don caught hold of the papers with his toes and slid them out from under the cabinet, repeating the maneuver to get the folder.  Once he had them, he let the cabinet back down and returned his bo to its place against his shell.

            He only meant to gather up his find and follow Casey but when he glanced down at the writing on the topmost sheet of paper, Don stopped moving.   Stockman hadn’t just been trying to make a retromutagen, he was also experimenting with creating an airborne form of the mutagen itself.

            Why the crazy scientist wanted something that dangerous, Don could only guess.  It certainly wasn’t going to be for anything good.

            Don was so engrossed in what he was reading that he didn’t feel the mild ground tremor under his feet.  A couple of minutes later it happened again, this time much harder and accompanied by a cracking sound.

            That got Don’s attention and he looked up.  Right at that moment a big crack opened up high on the wall and a large chunk of concrete came plummeting towards the turtle.

            Don jumped back and the concrete slammed into the file cabinet, smashing it flat.  Water began gushing in through the crack, causing other fissures to open up in the wall.

            “Get your ass up here!” Casey yelled from the doorway, having just returned from dropping off the mutagen.

            The water was already ankle high as Don bounded for the catwalk.  Before he was halfway there, another slab of concrete fell, hitting one of the gas generators and knocking it over on top of Don.

            “Donnie!”  Casey came scrambling down the catwalk at breakneck speed, his eyes wide with fright.

            “I’m okay,” Don called to him.  When the generator fell, Don had turned so that it hit his carapace.  It was lying on top of him though, and when Don tried to shove it off, it wouldn’t budge.

            Casey waded through the now calf high water, sending sheets of it cascading to the left and right as he rushed to Don’s side.  The concrete slab was on top of the generator and Casey tried to lift it, to no avail.

            “It’s too heavy,” Casey said, panting hard.

            “See if you can slide my bo staff out,” Don told him.  “Use the generator as a fulcrum and maybe you can get the slab off of it.”

            Nodding, Casey got a good grip on Don’s bo and yanked it loose.  While the boy worked to get Don free, the turtle concentrated on keeping his head above water.

            “It isn’t working!” Casey exclaimed, a note of panic in his voice.

            “Let the . . . let the water rise enough to cover the concrete,” Don said, his head tilted back as far as it would go so that his mouth was out of the water.  “The water should help lighten the weight of the slab.”

            “Hold your breath, Donnie,” Casey told him, somewhat unnecessarily.

            Inhaling deeply one last time, Don stopped breathing as the water fully covered him.  By turning his head, he could see Casey trying again to the lever the slab off of him.

            The sound of the bo staff snapping in two was loud enough so that Don could hear it underwater.  Casey lost his balance and floundered backwards, landing in the rising water with a splash.

            Don watched through the churning water as Casey regained his feet.  Just then another rumble shook the ground and the water was pelted by chunks of concrete from overhead.

            One of those chunks struck Casey right on the head, sending him into the water face first.  This time though, Casey didn’t move.

            Frantic, Don tried to grab him, hoping to flip Casey over onto his back.  The water was moving too swiftly now and Don lost track of where his friend was.

            Don struggled to push the generator up enough so he could inch his way out from under it but he was stuck solid.  If he didn’t figure something out pretty quickly, both he and Casey were going to die by drowning.


	92. 92. All That I Have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,165  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Don tried again to lift the generator off his shell, hoping that the swirling water had shifted the concrete slab that kept it wedged in place.  It didn’t move at all and Don told himself to remain calm so that he could figure another way out.

            He was a turtle and as such could hold his breath for a long time, much longer than any human.  Don couldn’t hold it indefinitely though.  Even if he could get free before his lungs gave out, he would be too late to help Casey.

            The floor of Stockman’s lab was concrete.  Don stared at it, trying to recall how thick it was required to be by city code.  It was then he noticed lines of fissures in the concrete, telltale signs that the slab was cracking.

            Feeling around, Don’s hand came in contact with a chunk of concrete that had fallen from the roof.  Getting a solid grip on it, Don began pounding at a crack in the slab that was directly below him.  Small pieces broke off revealing the earthen floor underneath.

            If he could break off enough of the slab then Don could dig his way out from under the generator.  He might manage to get free before he drowned, but Casey would be long gone.  Don tried not to think about that for fear it would make him lose focus on his task.

            Something splashed in the water near him, sending up a cascade of tiny bubbles that blocked his view.  As they drifted to the surface, Don swore he saw a flash of green.

            He stared at that spot in the water but saw nothing more.  Rather than waste any more time on wishful thinking, Don went back to chipping at the concrete underneath him.

            Don’s efforts weren’t showing progress fast enough.  His agile mind had already calculated that by the time he could begin digging, the previous strenuous activity of removing the slab would have eaten too much of his precious air.

            There were only two options open to him; keep fighting to get free, or conserve his oxygen and hope for a miracle.

            That awareness was followed by a number of regrets, uppermost on the list was having dragged Casey along on this foolhardy mission.  The belief  that he had killed the boy was almost too much for Don and he came close to simply opening his mouth and allowing the water to fill his lungs.

            _“I’m sorry, Casey,”_ Don thought, trying to see through the water to where Casey had gone down.  _“I’d give all that I have to save you from this.  I wish I’d had the chance to tell you how I feel about you.”_

            Just then another hard splash hit the water close to him and Don concluded that more of the walls and ceiling were collapsing.  He wondered which would kill him first, drowning or being crushed.

            A pair of green arms suddenly cut through the water in front of him and just for a second Don wondered if he was hallucinating.  The green was followed by a fluttering of blue and Don realized that his brother Leonardo was reaching for him.

            Don shook his head and pointed behind him so that Leo could see that he was trapped.  His lungs began to feel like they were burning as Don watched Leo swim past him and attempt to shove the concrete slab away.

            It wouldn’t move for him so Leo swam around to one side of it and set his feet firmly on the ground.  Bending down, Leo scooted back until his carapace came into contact with the slab and then he pushed up.

            Nothing happened at first, but then the slab shifted almost imperceptibly.  Don felt the weight on his shell lessen slightly and he started clawing at the cracked concrete beneath him, looking for a good hand hold.  Fingers digging into the edges of broken flooring, Don pulled forward with all his might.

            He felt the generator scrape against his scutes and in a flight of fancy, Don imagined that it was clutching at him.  Leo managed to move the slab again and Don suddenly popped free.

            The effort claimed the last of his stored oxygen and Don found that he simply couldn’t move anymore.  In an instant Leo was there, grabbing Don around the waist and surging upwards with his brother.

            As soon as Don’s head cleared the water he began gulping for air, sucking in oxygen so quickly that he started to cough.  Leo flipped him onto his carapace, sliding a hand across his chest before swimming towards the catwalk and pulling Don along with him.

            “Casey!” Don gasped with an effort.

            “I got him, bro’,” Leo said.  “Take it easy.”

            Don wanted to ask what condition Casey was in, but Leo was shoving him at the catwalk.

            “Can you climb?” Leo asked.

            “Yeah,” Don said, not really sure if he had the energy to or not.

            As he grasped the railings, Leo’s hands came down on either side of him.  Don felt Leo slide a shoulder under the bottom edge of his carapace and then Don started to move up, pushed along by his big brother.

            At the top of the catwalk Don grabbed the twisted door frame and tried to pull himself into the tunnel.  Don’s arms felt rubbery and he couldn’t maintain his grip.  He would have fallen backwards if Leo hadn’t given him a hard shove which propelled Don over the threshold.

            Flipping onto his back, Don immediately saw April leaning over Casey, her mouth on his as she worked to resuscitate him.  Turning onto his side, Don crawled towards them as Leo exited the lab.

            Just as Don was reaching for him, Casey’s body jerked and April sat back quickly.  Leo was there in a flash to help Casey roll over in order to expel the water from his lungs.

            A fit of violent coughing racked Casey’s frame as he retched and groaned.  After a couple of minutes the fit subsided and Casey latched onto Leo’s arm.

            “Donnie?” Casey asked in a rasping whisper.

            “Behind you,” Leo said with a smile.

            Casey fell back so that he could turn his head and see Donatello.  As soon as their eyes met, Don lunged forward, throwing the upper part of his body atop Casey, his mouth rushing downwards to capture the boy’s in a passionate kiss.

            Don felt Casey move under him and then one of the boy’s hands came down on his carapace as the other cupped the back of the turtle’s head, locking him in place.  Casey’s tongue removed the taste of anxiety from Don’s mouth, replacing it with an overwhelming joy.

            Although he was wet and cold, Don had never experienced such peace of mind.  He finally knew what he wanted and even April’s gasp couldn’t deter him from giving Casey the most thorough French kiss of his life.


	93. 93. Give Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,990  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Though April gasped as soon as her two males began to kiss, she soon followed that up with a melodious giggle and then said, “Aww.”

            Don lost track of time as his mouth moved in a synchronized rhythm against Casey’s.  The only thing that drew him back to the present was the sound of Leo clearing his throat, causing the pair to reluctantly part.

            “Damn, it’s good to be alive,” Casey said with a note of triumphant jubilation in his voice.

            “Are you okay?” Don asked.

            “If I wasn’t, that sure cured me,” Casey said.  “First I’ve got a major babe taking control of my mouth then a hot turtle sticks his tongue down my throat so he can take my temperature.  If that’s how the two of ya’ go about restarting an engine, I’m gonna drown more often.”

            “Don’t call me a babe,” April said, eyes twinkling playfully.

            “That’s not funny,” Don said at the same time, poking Casey in the ribs.  Looking up at Leo, he asked, “How did you find us?”

            Leo nodded in April’s direction.  “April realized you two had gone missing and checked to see if the Shellraiser had been taken.  She guessed where you were going and came to get me.  That was very foolhardy, Donatello.  What were you thinking?”

            Don sat up, removing his mask and wringing the water out of it.  “I needed the mutagen, Leo.  It’s getting harder to find canisters because the Kraang and the Foot are looking for them too.  We weren’t going to proceed if there was anyone else around, but the place was deserted.”

            Before Leo could start to lecture, April said, “Speaking of deserted, maybe we should leave.”

            It was easy to see that she was uncomfortable and Don guessed that she didn’t want to see the brothers argue.  Leo apparently recognized that too because he quickly stood up and offered her his hand, helping April to her feet.

            “April’s right,” Leo acknowledged.  “We can talk about this after we’re home.”

            Casey and Don both jumped up and Don said, “We should probably call this in so the city can turn off the water and repair the damage.”

            “ _After_ we’re out of here,” Leo stressed, leading the way back to the Shellraiser.

            When they reached the parked vehicle, Don saw that Casey’s bike was leaning against it.  Don opened the door and Leo lifted the bike inside.

            April looked at Casey and explained, “We borrowed your bike so we could get here faster.  I had a really bad feeling about you two.”

            “I don’t know where those feelings of yours come from, but I sure am glad ya’ get them,” Casey told her with a grin.

            Don noticed April’s cheeks redden as she climbed into the Shellraiser and when she caught his eye, she shook her head almost imperceptibly.  It seemed that there was at least one secret that she hadn’t shared with the boy and April didn’t want Don to say anything about it.

            Leo took his regular seat and started the engine.  While they were driving back to the lair, Don said thoughtfully, “You know, I just realized that I didn’t see any sign of Stockman in that lab.  I saw plenty of busted Foot bot parts, but not even a wing off that fly.  He must have had another way out of there.”

            “He knew that Shredder might get onto his secret,” Leo said.  “Of course he’d make sure he had an escape route.”

            “That must be why he went back inside the lab,” Casey said.  “He blew the place up himself.”

            April shuddered.  “He really is quite mad.”

            “I’m pretty sure he was halfway down that road before he was ever mutated,” Don said.

            When they got back to the lair, Casey took his bike out of the Shellraiser and Don grabbed his duffel bag.  Turning towards the stairs, Don watched Leo wave Casey and April on ahead of them and then lift a hand to stop Don.

            “Come on Leo, I already told you why Casey and I went back there,” Don said, anticipating his brother.  “I’m sorry that we didn’t tell anyone but we didn’t want an entire entourage going with us.  We wanted to make this quick and quiet.”

            “You know why Master Splinter made me the leader,” Leo told him.  “My job is to know what you guys are doing and to make sure you don’t take chances.  Every time one of you runs off on your own, someone gets hurt.”

            Don bit back the urge to remind Leo he’d done that a couple of times himself; that was how he’d met Karai.

            Instead, Don said, “Can I just say I’m sorry, that I’ll work on the whole communication thing, and thank you for saving my life?”

            The harsh look faded from Leo’s face and a smile replaced it.  “As long as you don’t thank me the same way you thanked Casey.”

            Don laughed.  “Don’t even go there.  Raph would totally kill me.”

            “Seriously though,” Leo said.  “Don’t scare me like that ever again.”

            Clearing his throat, Don said, “You know I’m normally a lot more cautious than that.  Getting my hands on some mutagen is my number one priority right now.  I promised Timothy I’d find a cure but mostly I want to help Karai.  With two more doses of the retromutagen I can do both.  I can’t give up trying, Leo.  Having Karai back to normal that will make Master Splinter happy and maybe he’ll be more open to things.  If I can fix that then you won’t be so mad at me for interfering with you and Raph.”

            “I’m not mad at you,” Leo said somberly.  “I was wrong too.  I told you I could lead without playing favorites but I couldn’t.”

            “That’s only natural,” Don said.  “Now you know it’s something you’ll have to work on and the rest of us will help you.”

            Leo shook his head.  “I don’t know.  It’s harder than I thought it would be.  Before when we were just brothers I could keep my focus better.  Sharing something more with Raph is . . . .”   His voice trailed off and was replaced by a pained expression.

            “Leo, what did Master Splinter say about you and Raph?” Don asked, guessing that’s where Leo’s thoughts had gone.  “Did you tell him?”

            “Yes, we did.  He didn’t say no,” Leo said, but since he didn’t sound ecstatic about that, Don held back his response.  Leo shrugged and added, “He didn’t say yes either.  In fact his concerns ran along the same lines as yours.”

            “Was it very awkward?”  Don didn’t want to appear overly inquisitive, but he was tired of being left out of the loop.

            “He knew before we confessed,” Leo said, looking Don in the eye.  “He was waiting to see how long it would take us to tell him after we made a commitment to each other.  Master Splinter forbade us from being together until we prove that our relationship won’t be detrimental to you and Mikey.”

            Don remembered the look on Leo’s face when he’d followed their father into his room.  “He said that to the both of you?”

            Leo nodded.  “Raph wanted to argue the point, but I stopped him because he wasn’t up for it.  When Master Splinter headed out, I told Raph I’d follow and talk to him some more alone.”

            “So he doesn’t have a problem with you being lovers as long as it doesn’t change how we work as a team?” Don asked thoughtfully.

            “Master Splinter said he knew that one day our hormones would catch up to us,” Leo replied with a sigh.  “He said that since our options are limited he thought two or more of us might connect with each other.  Father noticed the bond between Raph and I a long time ago.”

            “So what are you going to do?” Don asked.

            “I don’t know,” Leo answered.  “How do you prove a negative?  The first time something went wrong Master Splinter might be sure it’s because of what I share with Raph.”

            “Does that mean Master Splinter is going to be watching you all the time to see what you do?”  Don couldn’t fathom being under that type of scrutiny.

            “He’s already _been_ watching me,” Leo said matter-of-factly.  “I knew that was part of the deal when I asked for the job of leader.”

            “How do you deal with the stress?” Don asked, frowning.

            “I train,” Leo told him simply.  “The better I am, the less worry there is.  Right now I don’t know what to do to show father that I can train myself not to play favorites.”

            Don set a reassuring hand on Leo’s shoulder.  “Don’t give up,” he said, trying to sound confident.  “Let me make a couple of doses of the retromutagen and then you can lead us on a hunt for Karai.  We’ll do this together and show Master Splinter that we’re all still brothers and a team.  Mikey and I will help you prove that you and Raph deserve to be happy.”

            “That means a lot to me, Donnie,” Leo said, his eyes shining.

            “What are brothers for if not to watch each other’s shells?” Don asked rhetorically.

            They headed up the stairs together, both eschewing the turnstiles in favor of leaping over them.

            Off in a darkened corner of the lair, Don spotted April and Casey in deep conversation with their heads close together.  Leo saw them too.

            “Does everyone know about Raph and me?” Leo asked.

            “Casey and Mikey knew before I did,” Don said.  “Casey’s knowledge was Raph’s doing and Mikey’s been snooping.  I told April, but I can’t tell you if Irma knows anything yet.  Mikey’s been better at gathering secrets than actually spilling them.”

            “Thanks for coming straight in and telling me everyone’s still alive,” Raph said sarcastically, stomping towards them.

            Mikey was trailing after him, obviously on guard duty.  “Don’t yell at me because Raph got out of bed,” he said quickly.  “You wouldn’t believe what Irma and I had to do to keep him from coming after you guys.  Dinner’s late now.  I’m going back to my girlfriend and finish cooking.  You’d better all show up to eat and be really polite.”

            After delivering his edict Mikey trotted off to the kitchen as though nothing untoward had just happened.  His brothers did not fail to notice how glibly the word ‘girlfriend’ fell from Mikey’s lips.

            “Casey already told you,” Leo said to Raph in amusement.

            “That don’t mean I didn’t want you to come tell me,” Raph huffed.

            Leo glanced at Don, a smile on his lips.  “I guess we’ll both have to work on the playing favorite’s thing.”

            “Who said I’m playing favorites?” Raph demanded.  “Maybe I was worried about Donnie, or didn’t you think about that?”

            “Or maybe it was really Casey,” Leo teased, lightly punching Raph on his arm.

            “Heh, it wasn’t any of you.  I was worried about April,” Raph said, a mischievous light in his green eyes.

            Don left them and headed for the lab with his hard won canisters of mutagen.  At the door he looked back, noting that Leo and Raph were still laughing and joking playfully.  He suddenly realized how beautiful their relationship really was and couldn’t for the life of him remember why he was against it.  The four of them would go through life together as brothers no matter what and nothing was going to change that.

            His glance took in Casey and April, still together in their dark corner.  As he watched, the pair leaned in and kissed, oblivious of their surroundings.

            Don smiled.  Casey had refused to give up, certain that the three of them could be together.  He had been right too.  Don was a part of those two now and that was a pretty good feeling.


	94. 94. Last Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,097  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            It took almost four full days for Don to develop two doses of the retromutagen.  He had everything he needed in order to get the job done; it was simply that the process was complicated.

            April was with him throughout most of that time.  She was an integral part of the procedure because it was her blood that was the key component in making the retromutagen work.

            Casey spent as much time with them as possible, but he had to check in on his mother occasionally.  When he was at the lair, he and April would double team Donatello in order to get him to stop working and to sleep for a few hours.

            The cot that was in the infirmary came in handy because it meant that Don didn’t have to go far from his work.  When he wasn’t sleeping there April would use it whenever she felt like lying down.  It allowed her to be close at hand in case she was needed.

            While Don worked on creating the cure for mutation, Leo spent his time devising a plan to catch Karai.  Ever since her transformation she had been elusive and none of them were really sure why.  It might have been because she was now part snake and was driven by its nature.  Or it could have been that her reactions were emotionally based, wanting to avoid everyone who reminded her of what she’d become.

            Having the retromutagen ready to go was one thing; having someone to use it on was another.  Because of the experience they’d had when trying to deliver the antidote to April’s father, Don was determined to hang onto both doses until they had taken care of Karai.  If they only needed the first dose, then Don would use the second to cure Timothy.

            Even though when Don had first developed the retromutagen he’d wanted to return Master Splinter to his human form, that goal was no longer on his list of priorities.  Master Splinter had talked to his sons about that and had insisted that Donatello do what he could for those who’d been newly transformed before using any of the precious retromutagen on him.

            Don understood.  Master Splinter had already spent years in his mutant body and had adapted.  Those who had only recently changed were still suffering the trauma of their new existence.  In addition, Master Splinter would never accept a return to normalcy that his daughter hadn’t achieved.

            April was sitting across from him as Don worked; her attention on the pages of a magazine she’d brought with her.  Don was very close to the final step in the process of creating the retromutagen.  Once he’d refined it down a little more, Don would be ready to add April’s blood to the mixture.  It was mid-afternoon and they were expecting Casey at any time.

            “We’ve got about an hour to go and then we can draw your blood,” Don announced, his eyes on the beaker in front of him.

            April glanced at the beaker and wrinkled her nose.  “My favorite part,” she said sarcastically.

            “Have I been hurting you?” Don asked, suddenly concerned.

            “I’m just messing with you,” April said with a laugh.  “I’ve never been afraid of needles and besides, you have a very delicate touch.  It’s actually much nicer than any of the doctors I’ve ever been to.”

            Don blushed as he always did when April handed him a compliment.  Then a thought struck him.  “April, didn’t any of your doctors ever notice an anomaly in your blood work?”

            “I don’t remember ever having my blood drawn until you did it,” April said.  “Dad handled everything with my doctors during my yearly checkups.  I didn’t get sick as a kid and I still don’t.  I suppose there was never any reason for a doctor to want to draw my blood.”

            “So until recently your dad and then Kurtzman were the only ones who knew your secret?” Don asked.

            April looked down, her expression flattening out.  Very slowly she closed her magazine and set it aside.

            “Until Kurtzman told us, I’m guessing my dad was the only one,” April replied, finally meeting Don’s eyes again.  “I can’t imagine he’d share that secret with anyone else.  Sometimes I wonder if he’d have ever told _me_.”

            Don leaned forward.  “Wouldn’t he have had to?  I mean, surely he’d know that one day you might volunteer for a study and have your blood drawn, or get into an accident, or that you might . . . .”

            As his words trailed off April frowned.  “What?”

            Clearing his throat, Don said softly, “Have gotten married.”

            April’s lips thinned out and she looked pained.  “I’ve thought about that.  I’ve probably got the same unique genetic code that my mother had, but I’ve also got the mixed DNA.  I don’t know enough about that stuff, so I don’t know how normal my children would be.”

            “You turned out perfect,” Don said, earning a small smile from April.

            “I don’t even know if I want any kids,” April said, continuing her train of thought.

            Don’s mind flashed back to the conversation he’d had with his father.  “Master Splinter told me that Mr. O’Neil would be pleased to know that you returned my feelings for you,” he said, putting his guess into words.  “Your dad is always hinting that I should teach you things.  Do you suppose that he approves of us because he knows that our genetics aren’t compatible and I couldn’t get you . . . um . . . I mean there’s no possibility that I could make you . . . .”

            “Pregnant?” April asked, rescuing Don from his discomfort.

            “Yes,” Don said, acutely embarrassed.

            “That would sure keep him from worrying, wouldn’t it?” April asked rhetorically.  “He wouldn’t have to be concerned about what kind of children I’d have and he’d still know I was happy.  I _am_ happy with you, Donnie.”

            “And with Casey?” Don asked with a smile.

            April giggled.  “Casey too.  We’re the Three Musketeers, or something like that.”

            “Except that one of the Musketeers doesn’t know a secret that the other two have been keeping from him,” Don said, sobering quickly.  “Maybe we’re jumping ahead too fast considering how young we are, but if it’s a question of children, it’s only fair that Casey have all of the facts.”

            “I know,” April responded, speaking so softly that Don almost didn’t catch the words.

            “You have to tell him, April,” Don said.

            “I know,” April repeated in a stronger voice.  She looked far from happy at the prospect.

            “I’ll be with you while you do it,” Don told her.  “If he has questions, I’ll help you answer them.”

            April nodded and Don saw tears drip over the bottom edges of her eyelids and start to roll down her cheeks.  Moving quickly, he darted around the table and caught her in his arms.

            “It’ll be okay,” Don soothed, stroking her ponytail.

            She curled into his comfort, burying her wet face into his neck, her hands gripping the edges of Don’s carapace tightly.  Somehow he knew her pain wasn’t entirely from the fear of how Casey might react, but from her own uncertainty about what she really was and how it might affect her future.

            Don knew that he was April’s last hope for answers; there was no one else she could trust with her secret and no one else with the intelligence to make sense of what they learned.

            From inside the lair, Don heard Mikey shout, “Hey Casey!  Want some pizza?”

            “I’ll check back with ya’ on that,” Casey called back.  “It ain’t one of those with worms all over it I hope.”

            Mikey replied something to the negative and Casey laughed, the sound coming from just outside the lab door.  April abruptly stepped back from Don, her eyes wide.

            “I need to splash water on my face,” April said with alarm.  “I don’t want him to see that I’m upset.”

            “In the infirmary,” Don said, pointing in that direction.  “There’s a little sink in the corner.”

            She rushed off; disappearing behind the curtain just as Casey came striding into the lab.  He took one look at Don’s face and frowned, ignoring the hand that the turtle had lifted in greeting to ask, “When was the last time you slept?”

            “Why would you ask me that when you already know the answer?”  Don tried to maintain a stern look as the boy drew closer, but he couldn’t help a slight smile from curving his mouth.  “You’re the one who threatened to break a very expensive piece of lab equipment if I didn’t take a nap.”

            “I wouldn’t have done it,” Casey said, returning the grin.

            Don snorted.  “With you I’m never sure so it’s best not to take chances.”

            “So how come the expression on your face looks like somebody did break something?” Casey asked, not to be sidetracked.

            “That’s my fault,” April announced as she came out of the infirmary and moved forward to join them.  Her face was flushed but any sign of her previous tears were gone.

            “What’d ya’ do, break up with him?” Casey asked facetiously.

            “I wasn’t aware that I was ‘going with him’ in the first place,” April retorted.

            “So then what, did ya’ tell him you’re breaking up with _me_?”  Casey grinned, amused at his own humor.

            “I’m not breaking up with anybody,” April said.  Taking a deep breath, she added, “I do need to talk to you though.”

            Something in her tone alerted him because Casey was suddenly serious.  “I’m here for ya’ Red, whatever ya’ need.”

            His softer tone broke through some of April’s resolve and her lip quivered slightly.  Don realized it was going to be hard for April to speak if she was on an emotional roller coaster.

            “Casey, you know how sometimes when you’re walking along a dark street or in an alley you get a tingling sensation on the back of your neck?” Don asked.

            With a frown, Casey pulled his eyes from April and stared at Don.  “Yeah sure, the hair stands up and ya’ know someone’s watching ya’.”

            Don smiled.  “I don’t know about the hair part, but that sensation is a stress response to a gut feeling.  That feeling goes back centuries to when our ancestors had to fend for themselves in the wild against predators and other dangers.  It’s sort of a sixth sense that all living things are born with.”

            “Okay, I can follow that,” Casey said.  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

            April caught on to where Don was going with his explanation and she answered Casey’s question.  “Remember after I brought Leo with me to rescue you two and I said it was because I had a bad feeling that something had happened to you?  You said you didn’t know where those feelings of mine come from but that you were glad I had them.  Well, those feelings are something I was born with, but until I met Master Splinter I didn’t know how to use them.”

            “Hey, ya’ know I think I saw something on a TV show about people that have that,” Casey said and then snapped his fingers. “Yeah it was called, um, extra-sensory something or other.”

            “Perception,” Don said.  “The ability to receive information not gained through normally recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind.”

            “So you guys are telling me that April has a big brain like yours, Donnie.”  Casey shrugged.  “I figured that out for myself.  That’s probably why I go for both of ya’.”

            “It’s more than that,” April said, pushing on.  “No one really knows why some people have gifts like clairvoyance, second sight, or telepathy.  Most scientists don’t even acknowledge ESP as being a real thing.  It is real Casey, and I have it.  I can sense things like danger, I’m able to communicate with other life forms like animals and I . . . I have a telepathic connection to the Kraang.”

            Casey’s brow furrowed in concentration.  “Is that why they’re always trying to grab ya’?”

            April shot a quick glance at Don who said, “The underlying reason for her abilities is why they are always trying to capture April.”

            “What underlying reason?” Casey asked, looking from Don to April.

            “Apparently I’m part Kraang,” April blurted out, talking fast.

            All expression drained from Casey’s face and his mouth dropped open.  Completely motionless, he gawked at April.

            Don began to think that maybe they’d just fried Casey’s brain.


	95. 95. Advertisement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,974  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13   
> ~~ Props to KissingxKate for the tentacle idea. It was too good not to use!

            The minutes ticked by as Don and April waited for Casey’s reaction to the news that April was part Kraang.  Casey neither blinked nor moved as he stared at them, his face a total deadpan.

            April reached over and wrapped her fingers around Don’s forearm, relying on his strength to steady her as time dragged on.

            Finally Don said, “Casey, she’s still the same April.”

            That seemed to snap him out of it.  Casey shook his head like a bull clearing flies away and a wide smile spread across his face.

            “That’s so friggin’ awesome!” Casey shouted, rushing forward to envelope both Don and April in a tight hug.

            “It is?” April asked, her voice muffled by Casey shoulder where it pressed against her mouth.

            “Shoot yeah,” Casey said as he released them.  “That makes us a super team.”

            “There’s a little more to it than that,” Don said, thinking that Casey didn’t comprehend all of the ramifications.

            “I know,” Casey said, grabbing April’s hand and looking at her.  “The Kraang’s always gonna want ya’, we’ll probably have to jump up in the middle of the night if ya’ get one of those ‘feelings’, and if you want to have kids then doctor Don will have to deliver them ‘cause you don’t know what they’ll look like.”

            His quick synopsis of the situation took Don by surprise and all the turtle could do was stare at him.  April too was flabbergasted by Casey’s simplistic response to the secret she’d been dreading to tell him.

            “You’re okay with my being part Kraang?” April asked incredulously.

            “Why not?  Ya’ might be part Kraang but you’re also part human.  I started liking ya’ because you’re different and my feelings ain’t going to change.”

            April made sure he was looking her in the eye as she said, “About the baby thing.  Suppose the child was fathered . . . you know . . . I mean . . . could you handle that?”

            Casey’s grin was lecherous.  “Are ya’ asking if it would bug me to have a kid who’s part Kraang?  It’s nice to know that you’ve been thinking about doing the kind of stuff with me that makes babies.”

            Blushing furiously, April tapped his arm and said, “Be serious.”

            “Oh I am,” Casey said though his expression was at odds with his words.  Reaching out, Casey caught hold of the bottom of April’s shirt and started to lift it.  “So, are ya’ all human under there or are ya’ hiding some kinky Kraang tentacles?”

            “Casey!” April exclaimed, dancing back from him and smacking his hand.  A second later she started to laugh.  “You’re impossible, you pervert.”

            “Come on Donnie, admit ya’ think those tentacle things are kinda hot too,” Casey teased.

            “April would be beautiful with or without tentacles,” Don said diplomatically.

            “I can tell I’m going to have to teach you two how to have fun,” Casey said.

            “April and I were really worried about how you’d take her news but you seem to be accepting it without any questions.  Are you sure you’ve thought this through?” Don asked, a touch of incredulity slipping into his question.

            Casey shrugged as his demeanor became somber.  “Of course I have.  How much time did ya’ think I’d need?  When I love someone I don’t stop just because things get hard or a little weird, I work through them.  If I wanted everything in my life to be easy I wouldn’t have fallen for a mutant turtle or a stubborn redhead.”

            The boy was almost knocked off his feet as April launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss squarely on his mouth.  Before he could get his arms up to hold her there, April let go of him and spun around to repeat the maneuver with Don.

            Stepping back from the pair of stunned males, April smiled brightly, her eyes going from one to the other.  After a second she asked expectantly, “Well?”

            Don barely had time to register why she was looking at them that way when Casey was suddenly flush up against him.  Placing his hands on Don’s hips, Casey leaned forward but stopped just before his mouth touched the turtle’s.

            Not to be outdone, Don brought his arms up to circle Casey’s waist and holding him tightly, closed the space between their lips.

            This time the kiss Don initiated wasn’t a spontaneous reaction to the joy of being alive, it was because he really wanted to kiss Casey.  It always surprised Don that their mouths fit together so well, almost as they were a mirror of each other.

            Before he got too carried away and forgot that April was watching them, Don broke the kiss and the pair separated.  A glance over at April showed Don that she was smiling, her hands clutched together and pressed against her chest.

            “I love seeing you guys do that,” April said in a soft voice.  “It just looks so right.”

            Don and Casey slipped their arms around her waist and then closed the circle by holding each other as well.

            “So does this,” Don said contentedly.

            After a few minutes Casey sighed and asked, “What were you guys working on before I came in?”

            “We were about to add some of April’s blood to the retromutagen.  Her blood is the catalyst that activates the reversal of the mutation affect,” Don explained.

            “Oh,” Casey murmured as their circle separated.  “That’s why ya’ figured it was time to let me in on the secret, ya’ knew I’d see you drawing April’s blood and start asking about it.”

            “Partly that,” April admitted.  “It was mostly because Don wanted to know why no doctor had ever noticed something strange about my blood.  My dad never let anyone take my blood because he knew what the Kraang had done to my mother.  I didn’t even know about this until recently either Casey.  Then Don and I got to talking about my future with you guys and said I had to stop putting it off and go ahead and tell you.”

            “No secrets anymore, okay?” Casey asked.  “We gotta be totally honest with each other for this to work.”

            He held his hand out between them and Don placed his hand on top.  “No secrets,” he solemnly promised.

            April followed suit, placing her small hand atop Don’s.  “No more secrets.”

            With the promise made Don walked back over to his lab table and turned off the fire under the beaker holding his retromutagen.  He patted the stool at the end of the table and April hopped onto it, placing the back of her hand on the table and offering him her arm in a much practiced move.

            “How’s your mom doing?” Don asked Casey as he tied off April’s arm.

            Casey came to stand behind April, watching Don get ready to take some of April’s blood.  “She’s back to normal,” he said.  With a laugh he kissed the top of April’s head and continued, “Your dad has been coming by a lot.  I think they might have something going.”

            “Really?” April asked in astonishment.  “No wonder I haven’t seen him around here much.”

            “It’s okay,” Don said.  “He knows you’re in good hands.”

            Just then the other three turtles entered the lab but stopped short of the table when Don gave them a warning look.  He wasn’t worried about Leo or Raph knocking something over but Mikey was prone to touching things when he shouldn’t.

            “Is the retromutagen ready?” Leo asked.

            Don held the needle up for him to see.  “I just need some of April’s blood.  Have you guys located Karai?”

            “No,” Leo said, “but I’ve decided that we should stop looking for her and get her to come to us.”

            This was obviously news to Raph because he stared at his older brother.  “What are you planning to do, take out an advertisement?  ‘Dear half snake girl, meet me in central park’.”

            To his surprise, Leo nodded.  “I am going to take out an advertisement of sorts.  I’m going to lure her out with the one thing she won’t be able to resist in her present form – a rat.”

            Mikey was sitting in Don’s desk chair, spinning around in circles as he asked, “Why would she want your rat when she can catch plenty of her own?”

            “Because our rat is much bigger than anything she can catch by herself,” Leo said.

            Eyes narrowed, Raph asked, “Does Master Splinter know you’re planning to use him as bait?”

            “Yes,” Leo answered.  “I talked to him about what I wanted to do and he agreed that it might be the only way to draw her out into the open.”

            Don pulled the tie off of April’s arm and extracted the needle.  She glanced over at Leo and asked, “If you guys can’t find her how will you know where to go to get her attention?”

            “That’s where you and Master Splinter come in,” Leo said.  “I have a pretty good idea that she won’t be far from her old home.  I think the two of you will be able to sense when we’re near her and before she can run off Master Splinter will show himself.”

            “I’m not the bait this time,” Mikey said with a happy smirk, rolling across the lab and twirling in the chair simultaneously.

            “How are you planning to catch her?” Casey asked.  “Didn’t she put up kind of a fight the last time?”

            “We’ll drop a net on her as soon as she’s in the clear,” Leo said.  “We have plenty of rope we can use to fashion a net that will hold her.  All we need to do is pin her down long enough for Don to administer the retromutagen.”

            “Which I can finish as soon as you guys leave the lab,” Don said pointedly, his arms wrapped around the delicate instruments on the table as Mikey careened past it again.

            “Come on squirt,” Raph said, grabbing Mikey’s mask tails and pulling the younger turtle, still seated in the chair, towards the door.

            “We’ll start working on that net,” Leo said, following them.

            “I took a lot of blood this time,” Don told April.  “Do you want to lie down?”

            She shook her head.  “I’ll go watch your brothers.  I’ve never seen anyone make a net before.”

            Casey put an arm around her waist as she got off the stool.  “Come on Red, ya’ can lean on me.  We’ll get you situated on the couch and I’ll help the guys with that net.  I’m sure the genius here would like some quiet time so he can finish working his magic.”

            Don’s eyes flicked over to them and then back to his work.  He didn’t really notice when they left because he was concentrating on the final step of introducing April’s blood to the retromutagen.

            Once the mixture was complete, Don placed a small sample of Master Splinter’s blood on a glass slide, added a dot of the retromutagen to it and looked at it under his microscope.  He was delighted to see that the cure worked exactly as it should.

            It was only then that Don allowed his mind to drift over the conversation he’d had with April and Casey.  Everything that they had been through together had culminated in this new bond between the three of them and Don was amazed at how perfect it was.

            Don had stopped hiding how he felt about both of them, April had confessed her secret to Casey, and Casey had accepted the revelation with his usual easy confidence.

            He’d admitted to something else regarding the partly human pair as well and Don straightened up suddenly as he realized what that was.

            Casey Jones had said he loved them.


	96. 96. In The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1,928  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            A stiff breeze had kicked up after the team of hunters took to the skyline.  The few stars that were visible above the city lights were soon blotted out by the dark clouds that had begun to roll in overhead.

            In another quarter of an hour rumbles of thunder could he heard in the distance and Don crossed his fingers that the weather would hold off for a while longer.

            Normally when Leonardo saw something like this brewing he would call off the search, but not tonight.  As the group inside the Shell Raiser had neared Shredder’s stronghold, April was suddenly struck by a strong perception that Karai was nearby.  A minute later Master Splinter sensed his daughter as well.

            They had no idea when they might get another chance to catch Karai.  She was incredibly illusive and might already have caught a glimpse of them, which meant she might avoid the area in the future.  There was no choice but to follow through with the plan and hope they wouldn’t be hunting in the storm that seemed imminent.

            Setting out the ‘bait’ was simple enough; they chose a building in an area where Karai’s presence was the most strongly felt and climbed to the roof top.

            Leo, Raph, Don, and Casey stayed with the net, each holding a section of it and remaining out of sight.  Mikey hid on a separate roof top, keeping watch for any Foot ninjas or the Kraang.  April acted as a living sensor, staying back from the primary target area but close enough to warn the hunters as soon as she sensed Karai drawing near.

            When everyone was set, Master Splinter stepped out into the open, taking up a position at the center of the roof.  He clasped his hands behind his back and took a deep cleansing breath before closing his eyes to wait.

            “How long is this going to take?” Raph asked, keeping his voice low.  “I’m not anxious to be a pin cushion for a lightning bolt.”

            “Actually this pending storm might be advantageous,” Don whispered.  “Snakes pick up scents on their tongues and the different tastes tell them if there is food or danger nearby.  The breeze may keep Karai from sensing that we’re here.”

            “Won’t that also keep her from sensing that Master Splinter is here?” Leo asked, his eyes raking across the roof top.

            Don shook his head.  “She probably already knows that.  Sensei positioned himself so that the wind will blow his scent in her direction.  Do you see him tapping his foot?  Snakes can hear vibrations.”

            “Yeah?  Well she’s gonna hear us too if you keep talking, Donnie,” Raph said.

            “You’re the one who asked,” Casey told him.

            His quick defense of Don earned him a scowl from Raph and a smile from the genius.  Whatever else Raph might have said was cut-off as April, squatting inside the tool shed they were hiding behind, clicked her tongue to get their attention.

            “She’s coming,” April whispered.

            All four guys tightened their grips on the net and tensed.  They had to move fast if they wanted to trap Karai without also catching their father.  It fell to Master Splinter’s skill to avoid being caught in her coils.

            The wind became discernibly cooler, carrying with it the scent of moisture.  That was followed by intermittent droplets which felt icy to the touch.  “There’s a cold front coming,” Don whispered.  “If we don’t get her tonight she might go into hibernation.”

            “I’ll take some good news anytime now,” Raph muttered.

            “She’s here,” April said softly, as if answering him.

            Anxiously surveying the area, no one could spot the mutated girl.  They didn’t doubt that she’d arrived though; April’s senses were always a hundred percent accurate.

            Master Splinter knew that Karai was there too.  Lifting his head, his nose twitched and his eyes opened.  “Miwa.”

            A slim black clad figure bounded over the roof’s edge, landing gracefully several feet from the mutant rat.  As she straightened, Don stared in amazement at seeing that she’d returned to her human form.

            He was tempted to come out of hiding, but Leo tugged on the net and frowned at him.  The message was obvious; stick to the plan.

            “Miwa,” Master Splinter repeated, his voice containing the same perplexity that they all felt.  He started towards her.  “You are human again.  How were you cured?”

            Karai smiled but didn’t answer, instead holding her hands out towards her father.  It was when she tilted her head back to look up at him that Don saw her eyes.

            “She can shape shift, keep her away from sensei,” Don said urgently.

            “Now!” Leo shouted, lifting the net and leaping forward.

            The others followed, moving as one and spreading out to open the net.  Karai’s head turned in their direction and her mouth opened wide, a forked tongue flicking the air as she hissed a warning.

            When she turned towards them, the three turtles leaped high while Casey dug his heels into the roof and braced himself.  Master Splinter jumped back as his sons came down to surround her, the net dropping over Karai just as she transformed.

            Thrashing wildly, Karai snapped at the net, her snake head hands trying to tear through the openings.  In her mutated form she was incredibly strong and began dragging the end of the net that Casey was holding towards her.

            “We have to wrap this around her!” Don exclaimed.

            “Stick her with the retromutagen!” Raph roared, ducking to avoid her tail and then sliding under it with his part of the net.

            “I can’t!”  Don needed both hands to hold the net, barely maintaining his balance as Karai twisted and fought against the enclosure.

            “Karai!” Leo yelled.  “We’re trying to help you!”

            His words seemed to infuriate her more and Karai surged upwards, pulling Casey off his feet.  He hung onto the net tenaciously, his weight preventing her from escaping.

            “Miwa!” Master Splinter cried out, coming to stand next to Leo.  As she continued to struggle, he tried again to reach her.  “Daughter!  Look at me!”

            Karai’s head jerked down, eyes flashing and mouth open to show her fangs.  For a moment she froze as she stared at him.

            “Daughter,” Master Splinter repeated, this time softly.  “We have come to rescue you.”

            Slowly closing her mouth, Karai’s upper half drifted closer to him and Casey was lowered back down.  Because she seemed to be ignoring his movements, the boy took the opportunity to creep forward and bunch his portion of the net underneath one of Karai’s body coils.

            Her face close to Master Splinter, Karai’s tongue flicked out, tasting the air around him.  Thunder rumbled again, this time closer, and a jagged stretch of lightning painted the sky in the distance.

            “Fa~ther,” Karai hissed, her eyes never leaving his face.

            “Yes my daughter,” Master Splinter said, his cadence smooth and even as he reached out to touch the net in front of her.

            “Donnie,” Leo murmured, his voice hardly louder than the wind blowing around them.

            Don was already reaching into the bag attached to his belt.  Retrieving the hypodermic, Don one-handedly popped the cover off the needle while retaining his hold on the net.  He was closest to the portion of her body that was just below her narrow waist, probably her hips, and taking a deep breath he plunged the needle into her skin.

            Karai roared and reared up as the retromutagen entered her body.  One of her arms struck Casey and sent him crashing into the side of the tool shed.  Despite her orders, April darted out and knelt next to him, helping the boy sit up.

            Flailing wildly, Karai’s tail whipped around and took Raph’s feet out from under him.  Rolling out of the way, he avoided being crushed under her coils.

            Master Splinter tried to hold onto the net, but her first convulsive jerk yanked the rope out of his hands.  Leo held on, dragging his feet and calling to her, but she continued to twist and turn, tangling herself inside the net.

            Don too retained his grip on the net, watching as the rope caught the empty hypo and pulled it out of Karai.  With mounting alarm he mentally ticked off the seconds that passed, realizing that she wasn’t reverting back to normal the way that Mr. O’Neil had done.

            “What’s wrong?” Leo called out after a couple of minutes.  “Why isn’t she changing?”

            “Stockman must have altered the mutagen!” Don yelled.  “We’ve got to get her back to the lair!”

            Raph managed to catch hold of the net again, though Karai’s jerking almost made him hit himself in the face.  “I’m waiting for someone to say how we’re gonna do that!”

            “Guys!” April screamed shrilly, her warning cry followed by the loud boom of thunder.

            Don looked in her direction immediately and saw that April had her tessen out.  Casey was on his feet near her, his hockey stick drawn and mask down.

            “We got trouble!” Casey shouted.

            Streaming over the roof were dozens of Foot bots, weapons drawn and attention clearly drawn to Karai.

            “They’ve been hunting for her too.  Don’t let them take her!” Leo growled, maintaining a one handed grip on the net as he drew his sword.

            “Booyakasha!” Mikey yelled wildly, crashing into a group of Foot bots with his nunchucks whirling.

            At the sight of the approaching Foot bots, Karai hissed loudly and began to writhe even more wildly in an attempt to get free.  Master Splinter rushed into the fight, destroying bots left and right, but they kept coming.

            Casey and April were in the midst of the battle, fighting side by side.  Leo dodged and turned as he used his sword to fend off the Foot bots who got too near.  Don wound one arm through the net and drew his bo staff with his free hand, using it to shove the bots away.

            Catching Leo’s eye, Raph grinned crazily and let go of the net in order to draw his weapons.  “Hold onto your girlfriend,” he shouted, “I got this!”

            “Raph!” Leo called out when he saw his brother dive into the center of a cluster of Foot bots.

            Don watched in horror as Leo let go of the net so that he could grab his second sword.  Moving with incredible speed, the blue banded turtle leader began slashing his way through a myriad of Foot bots.

            Karai immediately noticed that the pressure on two sides of the net were gone.  Surging towards the edge of the roof, her snake form became more entangled in the net and she lost her grip on the roof top.  Falling heavily on the ledge, she started to roll off of the roof.

            Dropping his bo, Don grabbed the net and tried to tug her back, but she was too heavy.  As she went over, Don was dragged along with her, his arm trapped between the ropes and Karai’s body.

            Looking over his shoulder, Don saw Raph go down under a swarm of robotic soldiers.  Leo’s eyes were wide, his attention on his lover as he sliced Foot bots as rapidly as he could in an attempt to reach Raphael.

            “Leo, help!” Don screamed, feeling Karai begin to fall.

            His brother’s head jerked around in his direction and their eyes met.  Then Leo turned to look back at where Raph had disappeared under a flurry of bots.

            Don went over the edge of the roof, knowing that Leonardo had made his decision.


	97. 97. Safety First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,065  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            Scrabbling with his free hand at the lip of concrete on the roof’s edge while the rest of his body dangled in space, Don couldn’t help but stare at Leo in disbelief.  This was exactly what Don had feared and what Master Splinter had warned against.  Leo was going to jeopardize his plan and the lives of both Karai and Donatello so that he could rush to Raphael’s aid.

            Don had no illusions about survival, they were many stories up and there was nothing to break their fall but the hard pavement of the street below them.  In that second before he could no longer see them, Don shouted, “April, Casey, I love you!”

            Even as Don called out, a miraculous thing happened.  Leo plucked three shuriken from his belt and let them fly, each sinking into the head of one of the group of Foot bots surrounding Raph.  Without waiting to see if Raph got free, Leo spun on the balls of his feet and leaped towards Don.

            Losing his tenuous grip, Don began to plummet before he felt Leo’s hands wrap around his wrist.  Looking up, he spotted Leo straining to just hold on, unable to physically pull their combined weight up by himself.

            Reality struck Donatello a hard blow.  Leo was going to be dragged over the edge too, because he was much too stubborn to release his brother.  Don’s cry for help was a death sentence for Leo.  He should have kept his mouth shut and accepted fate.

            “Let go, Leo!” Don yelled.  “My arm is caught and we’re too heavy for you!”

            “I . . . won’t . . . let you fall!” Leo exclaimed through tightly clenched teeth.

            “You can’t do this alone!” Don protested frantically.

            Suddenly Raphael was there next to Leo.  “Who said he had to do it alone?”

            Reaching down, Raph grabbed onto Don’s forearm and between him and Leo they steadily pulled the genius back up.  When he was close enough, Don swung a leg over the ledge and squeezed the concrete between his knees to brace himself.

            Leo let go of his wrist and caught a double handful of Karai’s net in his hands so that he could begin hauling her up as well.  She was no longer thrashing around and when Don looked at her, Karai seemed to be asleep.

            With the weight off of his arm, Don was able to extricate himself from the net.  All three of the brothers began tugging on it then, successfully getting Karai back onto the roof top.

            Don swept up his bo staff and glanced around.  Master Splinter and Mikey were taking down a small group of Foot bots and while he watched, Casey and April destroyed their last one.

            The roof top was littered with Foot bot parts but none of Don’s family was injured.  Don’s sigh of relief was short lived.

            “Donnie, something’s happening to Karai,” Leo said.

            Spinning around, Don saw that his brother was squatting next to the prone form of the mutated girl, except that now she seemed to be transforming again.

            Don kneeled down and watched as the snake tail shortened and split into legs.  Karai’s snake head hands became fingers once more and her face changed shape.

            “Delayed reaction to the retromutagen?” Leo asked, looking up at Don.

            “Or she’s simply shifting again,” Don said.  “I can’t tell.”

            Within seconds Karai was back to normal, but with her eyes closed they didn’t know if she was still mutated.  The other four joined them as Don reached through the net to press a finger against Karai’s neck and felt for her pulse.

            “Is she all right, my son?” Master Splinter asked.

            “Her pulse is good, she’s just unconscious,” Don answered.

            The rain started to fall harder and Casey said, “Maybe we should get out of here before some more of these Foot bots show up.”

            “Or the Shredder does,” April added with a shudder.

            “Help me get this net off of her,” Leo said as he began to unwind the rope.

            Master Splinter stopped him with a hand on Leo’s shoulder.  “No.  We do not know how she will be when she awakens.  Safety first, Leonardo, leave the net on her and bring her down.”

            Their father backed away, his eyes skimming the adjoining roof tops.  Leo, with Raph’s assistance, lifted the unconscious Karai and then Leo draped her over his shoulder in order to carry her down the building’s fire escape.

            Karai didn’t awaken when they set her inside the Shell Raiser.  As they drove back to the lair, Master Splinter checked that the netting wasn’t wound tightly enough to cut off the circulation to any of Karai’s limbs.

            When they were home, Master Splinter carried Karai from the Shell Raiser, through the lab and into the infirmary.  Don stopped Leo as the oldest brother started to follow his father, and the rest of the group stayed behind as well.

            “I’m so sorry, Leo,” Don said.

            Leo frowned, looking puzzled.  “It’s all right, Don.  Karai is here and I know you’ll figure out what to do for her.”

            “Not for that,” Don said, “for doubting you and for putting you in such a dangerous position.  When I called out to you I should have known you couldn’t save me and Karai by yourself.  I just panicked because I thought . . . . “

            His words trailed off and Leo offered him an understanding smile.  “You thought I was choosing Raph over you,” he said, finishing Don’s sentence.  “I knew right away that I couldn’t save you by myself, Donnie.”

            “You did?” Don asked.  “Then why . . . ?”

            “I had to get the Foot off of Raph so he could help me,” Leo explained.  “He was the closest to us.  I never doubted that he could defeat those bots, I just needed for him to do it faster.”

            “Leo and I have fought side by side long enough for him to know I don’t need help handling a dozen stupid Foot bots,” Raph said with a grin.  “He knocked out enough of them for me to see the situation you’d gotten yourself into.”

            “You two are something else,” Don said in amazement.

            “Aww, I think it’s time for a group hug,” Mikey said, his eyes twinkling.  “Come on, hug it out.”

            For once they didn’t argue with him.  Leo and Raph put their arms around each other and then drew Don in, forming a circle.  After a second, Mikey wormed his way in to join their hug.

            Casey circled April’s waist with his arm and pulled her against his side as they watched the brothers.  Both were smiling, happy to see the turtles bonding.

            Don finally stepped back and took Mikey with him, leaving Leo and Raph to hold each other.  It was the first time Don got to see an open display of their affection and he felt his face heat up as he watched them nuzzle and murmur softly, their hands roaming delicately in exploration as if they each couldn’t touch the other enough.

            It was beautiful.  Don found himself fervently hoping that Master Splinter would understand how much Leo and Raph needed this; how much they needed to be _together_.

            Don felt an arm go around his shoulder and knew it was Casey.  Glancing at the boy, who was still holding April, Don exchanged smiles with him.

            “Oh man, I wish Irma was here,” Mikey said, his shoulders drooping.

            “Come here,” Don said, hooking an arm around Mikey’s neck and pulling him into his shoulder.  Leaning over, Don whispered, “Thanks little brother.”

            “Anytime D,” Mikey responded, sounding both happy and pleased.

            “Donatello!” Master Splinter called, the urgent note in his voice breaking up the little group.

            Rushing into the lab, Don saw his father holding the curtain to the infirmary open.

            “What is it sensei?” Don asked, his eyes darting past his father.

            “Something is happening,” Master Splinter said, moving aside so that Don could go to Karai.

            The others remained outside of the curtained area so that Don would have room to work.  Karai looked just as she did earlier and just when Don was going to ask his father for an explanation, her entire body jerked against the cot.

            “Leo, seal off the doors, I’m going to remove the net!” Don called out, beginning to do so without waiting for an answer.

            Master Splinter came forward to help him and together they quickly extricated Karai from the net.  While they did so she continued to jerk, her eyelids fluttering and her mouth opening and closing spasmodically.

            Don checked her pulse again and found that it was a little fast, but not alarmingly so.  As carefully as he could because of her movements, Don pulled back an eyelid so he could look at her pupils.  He watched in wonderment as the elongated pupils of a snake slowly became round again.

            Her convulsions suddenly stopped and Karai gasped several times before exhaling one long, cleansing breath.  Slowly opening her eyes, she glanced around the room, stopping when she saw Master Splinter.

            “Father?” Karai asked, sounding confused.

            “Yes my child,” Master Splinter said, taking her hand.  “You are home with me.  How do you feel?”

            “Better.”  Karai frowned and then tried to sit up.

            Don placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, “Take it easy.  I gave you a retromutagen but it took a while to work.”

            “I don’t think it did completely,” Karai said, her voice raspy.  “I can still taste the air and sense the heat your bodies are giving off.”

            “It must be because of whatever Stockman dumped into the mutagen,” Don said.  “You still retain some the attributes of the snake form that you took on.”

            With unexpected quickness, Karai leaped off of the cot and darted past Master Splinter.  Caught off guard Don raced after her, out through the curtain and into the lab, not sure of her intentions.

            Karai stopped when she saw the others standing there staring at her.  With a swift glance around she took in both exits.

            “The doors are locked,” Leo said, noting where she had looked.  “You’re safe here, Karai.”

            “I’m not safe anywhere until that man has been destroyed,” Karai snapped out bitterly.

            “You tried that single handedly once,” Leo reminded her.  “You can’t do it alone.  Stay here with us.”

            It was clear that Karai was angry and Don didn’t blame her.  She had been betrayed in the worst possible way by a man she’d called ‘father’.

            At the moment she had eyes only for Leo.  He was the one who she connected with the most and the only one, including her real father, who Karai seemed inclined to listen to.

            “Why should I?” Karai asked harshly.  “What’s in it for me?”

            Approaching her slowly, Leo held out his arms.  Karai stood her ground, watching his approach, her entire body rigid and resentful.

            Don expected Leo to stop when he was close to her, but instead his brother stepped right into her personal space and wrapped his arms around her.

            “This,” Leo said.  “This is what’s in it for you.  We can give you family Miwa.  We can give you love.  It’s the one thing Shredder never gave you because he doesn’t know what that is.”

            Karai remained stiff and unyielding but Leo continued to hold her.  Finally a small sound escaped her, almost like a sob.  “F . . . family?” she stuttered.

            “Yes Miwa . . . my daughter,” Master Splinter said, walking up next to them.  “We are a family, all of us.  Let us show you what you have missed.  Your brothers and I have much love to share with you.”

            Don saw a tear trickle down Karai’s cheek and then she lifted her arms and returned Leo’s embrace.

            There was a moment of silence in the room as Master Splinter put his arms around Leo and Karai, holding both of them.

            Don wasn’t sure what was going to happen next but Mikey had no such problem.

            “I think this calls for a celebration!” the youngest brother exclaimed.  “Pizza for everybody!”

            His outburst eased the tension and everyone started to laugh.  With a wise nod, Master Splinter said, “I think that is an excellent idea, Michelangelo.  A very excellent idea.”


	98. 98. Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2,607  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13

            The lab was Donatello’s go to sanctuary when he had a puzzle to sort out, and this was one of those times.

            His retromutagen hadn’t brought Karai all the way back to normalcy, but he understood why that was.  She had allowed him to draw some blood and he intended to use that to begin trying to isolate whatever it was that Stockman had added to the mutagen that Karai had fallen into.  That didn’t cause him any worries because it was the kind of problem that simply required solid science and time.

            Karai wasn’t going anywhere, of that Don felt fairly certain.  After Leo had made his speech about family, Master Splinter had tried to convince her to lie back down.  She’d refused to sleep in the infirmary even though Don would have like to be able to monitor her condition.

            Instead she had asked if she could return to the room Master Splinter had originally assigned to her.  Master Splinter had studied her for a moment, perhaps trying to gauge whether she still felt the urge to go after Shredder again.

            A small smile had lifted the corners of her mouth as she glanced at Leo and then turned to assure her father that she’d stay put.  Karai had added, “I suspect that Leonardo won’t be entirely convinced and will lie in wait for me as he did before.”

            The slight flush on Leo’s face had made her smile grow wider and then Raph had stepped close to his brother.  He had responded before Leo had the chance, saying, “We’ll both be waiting up in case you get any ideas.”

            Don wasn’t sure if the ‘ideas’ Raph was referring to was Karai trying to sneak out again, or Karai attempting to have a private moment with Leo.

            Karai was observant enough to notice a change in the interactions between those two brothers.  Don knew that she was puzzled by it, but she didn’t press the issue.  There would be time enough for her to learn the status of everyone in the family but right then Karai needed food and rest.

            Don had gone to bed along with the remainder of the household, directly after Mikey’s impromptu pizza party.  Casey had crashed on the couch and April had ducked into her own room.

            If Master Splinter hadn’t been restless and pacing, Don wondered if Casey would have remained on the couch.  From the look they had shared as Don wished him a good-night, it was clear that the boy would have had a better evening by joining the turtle in his bed.

            Rather than shy away from the thought as he’d done before, this time it gave Don an excited thrill.  Don wasn’t sure how they’d manage to ‘experiment’ in the lair though, not with all the family activity.  But then again Leo and Raph had arranged opportunities to get close to each other and Don hadn’t suspected a thing.

            That was yesterday, this was today, and none of those interactions were what had presented Don with his latest puzzle.  Don’s current mystery involved Timothy.

            Since he’d only had to use one dose of his retromutagen during ‘operation Karai’, Don had administered the second and last dose to Timothy.

            Don had already figured out a delivery system for the retromutagen that would bypass the frozen solution surrounding Timothy.  He was sure that the retromutagen had actually gotten into Timothy.  The problem was that it wasn’t working.

            This second setback with his retromutagen had caused Don to review his procedures to make sure he’d done every step exactly as before, when he’d created the retromutagen that had brought Mr. O’Neil back.  Once he was assured that he’d duplicated the process completely, Don looked over the notes he’d kept on his failed attempts, like the one that had resulted in a frozen Timothy.

            When Don hit a stone wall going in that direction, he’d regrouped.  Don had read some of Stockman’s notes before his near drowning incident and decided it might help if he wrote all of that out.  Since he was blessed with an eidetic memory, it wasn’t hard for Don to replicate everything he’d seen.

            As always when he was focused on a project, the day sped by without Don being aware of the passage of time.  April had popped in at some point with a sandwich and the information that he’d missed lunch and that Casey had gone to check in with his mother.

            Don had offered her his thanks, consuming the sandwich while she stood there looking at him with an indulgent smile.  If there was one thing that April was getting used to, it was how fixated Donatello could become.

            Now it was nearly dinnertime and Don leaned back to stretch his limbs.  The notes were finished and the process of writing them out had been illuminating.  Don thought he had a glimmer of what he was missing and it had to do with reversing the freezing process before attempting to administer the retromutagen.

            “Hey Donnie,” Raph called from the doorway, startling the genius out of a wide yawn.  “Master Splinter wants to see us in his room.”

            Frowning as he stood up, Don asked, “What’s it about?”

            “I’ve got no idea,” Raph said as they started towards their father’s room.  “He just wants the four of us though.  April and Karai are in the kitchen making dinner and Casey’s in there getting underfoot.”

            Don wracked his brain trying to figure out why Master Splinter wanted a private conversation with his sons but came up empty.  He hadn’t seen his father since the previous night and Don remembered that Master Splinter had looked as though he had something on his mind.

            As soon as they entered their sensei’s private sanctuary Don noticed that Master Splinter looked tired.  Leo and Mikey were already kneeling and the other two turtles joined them.

            “What was the first thing I taught the four of you?” Master Splinter asked without preliminaries.

            After a second or two of silence, Leo responded, “That we should stick together no matter what.”

            “Yes,” Master Splinter said.  Taking a deep breath, he exhaled sharply.  “You share more than simply being brothers; you share a duty and responsibility to one another that transcends individual mandates.  Each one of you is part of a greater whole; the loss of a single brother destroys the others.  Do you understand?”

            A chorus of ‘yes sensei’ followed his question and Master Splinter looked at each of them in turn.  “I must admit to a failing on my part.  Never once as you were growing up did I entertain the notion that one of you might find someone with whom you could become romantically attached.  You are turtles and the only ones of your kind.  I should not have been so shortsighted.”

            Don finally knew why Master Splinter had called this meeting.  Mikey was watching their father avidly, perhaps trying to ascertain what he was going to say from his body language.  On either side of him, Don saw Leo and Raph quickly glance at each other and knew that they understood the reason behind their family gathering as well.

            “When Donatello became interested in April I gave him the best advice that I could so that he would be prepared for whichever choices she made,” Master Splinter said.  “In that regard I had a basis for comparison, having myself once loved and married a woman.”

            He turned his head to look for a moment at the picture of the family taken from him by Shredder.  “I feared that you would be hurt my son,” Master Splinter said, directly addressing Don.  “The odds were not in your favor despite the fact that April is an extraordinary young girl.  I am delighted to see that she does indeed return your affection.  It is more than I could have hoped for.”

            “Thank you, sensei,” Don replied, blushing lightly.

            “Part of my original concern had to do with a young man by the name of Casey Jones,” Master Splinter said, continuing.  “Almost immediately I could foresee the complications that would arise due primarily to April’s interest in him.  However the difficulties did not go in the direction that I had envisioned; they were much more complex.  April was smitten by Casey but Casey had eyes only for Donatello.  In addition, Raphael was outwardly hostile towards his own brother over the situation.”

            Raph ducked his head, looking shamefaced.  Afraid that what had happened in the past would color Master Splinter’s ultimate decisions, Don hastily said, “We worked it out, sensei.  Raph and I talked and cleared it all up.”

            Their father nodded, looking pleased.  “Yes.  I purposely left you to your own devices because I wanted to see how you would handle the situation.  For a short period I feared the animosity had gone beyond your ability to control, but you both managed to open up to one another.”

            He bypassed the fact that Don and Raph had almost come to blows at least once, though Don was sure that Master Splinter knew about it. 

            “Donatello spent a good amount of time in denial over his burgeoning feelings for Casey,” Master Splinter said, moving forward with his synopsis.  “The dueling emotions of affection for April and attraction to Casey were understandably confusing.  It was only when April admitted to her fondness for both of her young male suitors did the situation take a turn for the better.  Is that not true Donatello?”

            Even though Don knew that his brothers were aware of what had transpired between him, April, and Casey, it was still mortifying.  “Yes sensei,” he muttered.

            “And you likewise confessed to a desire for April as well as Casey, did you not?” Master Splinter asked.

            Don cleared his throat and answered, “Yes sensei.”

            “I am not seeking to embarrass you, my son,” Master Splinter said.  “I am delivering this speech before all of you to illustrate what I meant all those years ago when I told you that you must stick together.  It is imperative, even in the area of romance, that you four understand the motivations of each of your brothers.

            “It was clear to me that April might never have known how she truly felt about Donatello if not for Casey.  In the beginning I was not sure that I approved of the direction you three seemed to be going, but then I saw how you balanced each other.  It is very similar to the way a pyramid is balanced.  I have been given to understand from some very ancient text that pyramids are a source of great power.  It is my belief that the three of you together can be exceptionally powerful and that can only benefit this family.  Therefore I approve of your union.”

            Blinking rapidly as his mind tried to comprehend what his father had just said, Don replied, “Thank you Master Splinter.”

            Their father turned his attention to Leo and Raph, both of whom straightened their spines and presented a united front.

            “I was once a man,” Master Splinter said and then stopped to close his eyes.  His sons looked at each other quickly, puzzled, but then their father opened his eyes again and went on.  “When I became aware of the growing desire between Leonardo and Raphael, I viewed it with the eyes of a man.  A man and a father.

            “It was apparent from a very early age that the two of you had a special bond.  I watched as you challenged and competed with each other and though there were times when I worried over your seeming animosity, I came to realize that the results of your battles were that you each became better.  You are so very much alike that when each pushed the other, it was very much like you were pushing yourselves.”

            When he paused, Don’s mind raced through the years and he immediately saw what Master Splinter had realized so long ago.  Leo and Raph weren’t really fighting with each other; they were defeating their own individual demons together.

            “You want to be more than brothers now, have in fact already taken that step,” Master Splinter said.  “My human mind shied away from that revelation and I requested that the two of you separate until such a time that you could prove your involvement would not negatively affect this team.  I believed my edict would effectively put an end to your relationship.”

            That explained why Leo had seemed so morose after his conversation with their father, even though Master Splinter had told him he thought some of his sons might want to be together.  Master Splinter had placed an almost insurmountable caveat on his approval.

            “I should have realized that you would find a way to prove yourselves,” Master Splinter said, much to his son’s surprise.  “Last night the four of you displayed extraordinary teamwork, much beyond my expectations.  Though faced with a number of unexpected challenges, you did not falter in reaching your goal.”

            Looking directly at Leo, Master Splinter went on.  “Leonardo, you were especially adroit at sizing up our adversaries and dispatching them swiftly.  When faced with a situation where it appeared you must choose between two of your brothers, you found a solution that mitigated the risk to both of them.  I commend your handling of that emergency.”

            “Thank you sensei,” Leo said, bowing swiftly.

            Turning to Raph, Master Splinter said, “Your actions found my favor as well, Raphael.  You never lost sight of our objective and showed remarkable perception in assessing Donatello’s situation and Leonardo’s intent with regard to it.”

            “Thank you father,” Raph said, smiling.

            “As I said, I was once a man,” Master Splinter said, his focus remaining on Leo and Raph.  “But now I am also a rat, and you are turtles.  You did not begin as humans and I cannot apply human standards to your natural instincts.  I must use my insights as an animal to understand that your connection to each other is real and must therefore be accepted.  You have my blessing to be together.”

            Master Splinter stopped speaking and looked at them, obviously waiting for a reaction.  Neither Leo nor Raph moved, perhaps stunned that they had so quickly received permission for their choice from their father.

            Don was between them and that was perhaps the only thing that kept the pair from breaking decorum and embracing.  They settled for something less demonstrative and reached across in front of Don to clasp their hands together, squeezing once before returning to their positions.

            “Before you leave, let me remind you that you are not two alone, you are four.  That goes for Donatello and Michelangelo as well.  I understand that it is difficult to remember your siblings when someone you have become romantically attached to is in danger, but this I must insist upon.  You survive and your mates survive because you four are a team,” Master Splinter said.

            All four acknowledged his admonition and Master Splinter nodded.  “Very well, you are dismissed.  If my nose is correct, it is dinner time.”

            The brothers gained their feet swiftly and left the room.  As soon as they could, Leo and Raph dashed toward Leo’s room, no doubt hoping for a quick celebration.

            Don watched as the pair came together upon reaching the doorway and he saw their lips meet.  Almost immediately Don felt a responding warmth in his gut and his toes curled in reaction.

            As they disappeared into the room, Don found himself wishing for the same thing his brothers were experiencing.


	99. 99. Solitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 3,249  
> *Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~One more to go! This is the longest one yet.

            Donatello half expected that Mikey would pester him with questions about Casey and April after the brothers were dismissed from Master Splinter’s room.  Instead he was surprised when Mikey blew by him without a word, heading straight towards the kitchen.

            The reason for Mikey’s hurry was apparent a second later when Irma came out to meet him, having apparently been invited for dinner again.  They clasped hands and re-entered the kitchen together. 

            _“No wonder Mikey isn’t interested in my business anymore,”_ Don thought with an indulgent laugh.  _“He’s preoccupied with his own romance.”_

            It was too close to dinner time for Don to sneak off to his lab to continue his work.  He knew well enough that if he went in with the thought of only spending a few minutes that he’d lose track of time and have to be dragged out to eat.

            Instead he joined his brother in the kitchen and was quickly conscripted by April into setting the table.  Don didn’t mind; his brain was engaged with his project and he was only half listening to everything going on around him anyway.

            Concentrating on solving the Timothy problem also took his thoughts off of Leo and Raph, putting a halt to his imagination.  The way they had touched in his lab when Leo was injured was erotic enough, watching them kiss set his own hormones to racing.

            When the two errant brothers arrived for dinner they behaved as though nothing had happened, keeping up appearances for their guests.  Dinner passed amicably enough; Karai was attentive to Master Splinter and Mikey’s almost non-stop anecdotes kept everyone entertained.

            Don’s mind wasn’t completely there though; his thoughts kept drifting off to Stockman’s notes and to the idea he had for curing Timothy.  Once or twice he saw Casey and April toss speculative looks in his direction.  He figured they were probably interested in the brother’s meeting with Master Splinter, but the concept of easing their curiosity didn’t hold Don’s attention for long.

            Pondering his latest idea with such focus, Don missed the fact that dinner was over and the table was being cleared around him.  Mikey said something to him but Don merely grunted, not really hearing the words.

            Giving Don a hard nudge, Mikey repeated his question.  “We’re going to watch a movie, you gonna join us?”

            Don blinked and noticed that everyone had already left the table.  Standing quickly, he said, “No thanks, Mikey.  I’ve got something I need to do.”

            He missed Mikey’s frown as he raced off to his lab.  A tiny touch of guilt entered Don’s consciousness as he left his family and friends to their entertainment, but remembering his promise to Timothy erased the self-reproach.  Restoring Timothy to his human form was uppermost in Don’s mind.

            The first thing that Don did upon entering his lab was to check on Timothy, half hoping that there had been a change in his condition.  Timothy looked exactly the same and Don placed his hand on the glass that surrounded the boy, silently asking him to hold on a little longer.

            In the solitude of his lab, Don began to work in earnest on the idea that had previously captured his attention.  Occasionally sounds from the lair would drift in to him, but they didn’t penetrate his conscious mind.

            Somewhere during the early morning hours Donatello dozed off, his head resting on his work table.  His dreams were filled with snakes and tentacles and would have been frightening if not for the fact that Casey and April were by his side fighting them.

            “Donnie.”

            A familiar voice cut into Don’s sleep, making him snort and turn his head.  The voice didn’t go away though; it sounded again, louder this time as someone shook him.

            Jerking his head up off the table, Don stared with bleary eyes at his youngest brother.

            “What . . . ?” Don started to ask.

            “Dude, you fell asleep in your lab again,” Mikey told him.  “It’s morning.”

            Don straightened suddenly, excitement replacing his sleep induced stupor.  “I’ve got it, Mikey!  I know how to cure Timothy.”

            “That’s awesome bro’,” Mikey replied, “but it’s not gonna get you out of practice.”

            Groaning, Don stood up and stretched the muscles that were sore from his sleeping in such an awkward position.  He looked over at Timothy, back down at his notes, and then finally over at Mikey again.

            “I can’t stop for practice,” Don said.  “I can’t.  In order to synthesize the reagent that will counter the enzyme reaction which caused the mutagen to freeze around Timothy, I have to incubate the primary substance’s chemical base for a twelve hour period.  I don’t have time for anything else.”

            Mikey shook his head, grabbing Don’s bo staff from the spot where it was leaning against the table and tossing it to his brother.  “Sounds boring.  Really D, Master Splinter tells you he’s okay with you having a girlfriend _and_ a boyfriend, and you spend the night drooling on the table?  Not cool bro’.  You need to pay them some attention.  Come on, you know sensei isn’t gonna let you out of practice unless the lair is burning down.”

            Don watched as his brother strolled out of the lab without checking to see if the genius was following him.  For a fraction of a moment Don seriously thought about simply not appearing for practice, but then common sense reminded him that Timothy wasn’t going anywhere and Master Splinter knew that as well as Donnie did.

            With a sigh of resignation, Don left his experiment and joined his family in the dojo.  April and Karai kneeled side by side, listening intently to something Master Splinter was telling them as he waited for all of his sons to appear.  Casey was nowhere around, so Don figured he was either checking on his mother or doing one of the many odd jobs he took on to make extra money.

            Practice lasted much longer than Don had anticipated.  Not only did their sensei put his sons through a rigorous session, but he had them observe while he trained Karai and April.

            As soon as Master Splinter called an end to practice, Don started for his lab but had to pull up short when Leo accosted him.

            “You have chores to do,” Leo said without preamble.

            “Leo, I promise I’ll take care of them later,” Don said, talking quickly and trying to inch around his brother.  “My work can’t wait any longer; I’m this close to finding a cure for Timothy.”

            Don held his hand up to illustrate his point by spreading his fingers an inch apart.  Before he could lower it again, Raph appeared next to him and shoved a mop into his hand.

            “No way Donnie,” Raph said.  “I have to sweep this floor before you mop it and if you don’t mop soon enough, I’ll have to sweep again.  Go fill that bucket with soapy water and get after it, ‘cause I’m not doing twice the work just to cover for you.”

            The feeling that the universe was conspiring against him was strong as Don stomped off to the kitchen to fill the mop bucket.  When Don returned to the center of the lair he found that Raph had finished sweeping the area, so he set to work mopping.

            After a few minutes he heard April clear her throat and he looked up, embarrassed that she’d caught him muttering angrily to himself.  There was a smile on her face and a mop in her hand.

            “I’d be happy to help with that,” April said with a touch of humor in her voice.

            Mortified, Don hastily said, “No, no April.  It’s my job, you don’t need to . . . .”

            “I know I don’t need to,” April said, stopping him.  “I want to.  You have something you want to work on and all of these interruptions are driving you crazy.  Don’t forget that I know you, Donnie.”

            Don felt his face heat up at her words, enormously gratified at how April had said that.  “Thanks April.”

            “No sweat.”  April dipped her mop into the bucket and wrung it out, then began working to clean the floor.

            They mopped in silence for a while and then April quietly asked, “How did your talk with Master Splinter go?”

            Don stopped moving and looked over at her.  “I’m so sorry, April.  I should have told you about it right away,” he said, feeling ashamed.

            April shook her head.  “I told you that I know you, didn’t I?  Casey and I understood that you were focused on a project, that’s why we didn’t bother you last night.  From the way Leo and Raph are acting, I’m guessing that Master Splinter said they could be together.”

            “I’m surprised Mikey didn’t already spill everything,” Don said, his eyes wide.

            “His mind is mostly on Irma right now,” April said with a grin.  “She adores the attention.”

            Taking a deep breath, Don said, “Master Splinter told me he thought that the three of us balance each other and that he approves.”

            April began mopping again, clearly thinking about what Don had said.  After a moment, she told him, “My father does too.”

            Surprised, Don almost dropped his mop.  “He d . . . does?”

            Giggling, April said, “Oh Donnie, you should see your face.  Don’t you know by now how much dad admires you?  He thinks you’re a good influence on me.  He also thinks that between you and Casey nothing bad will ever happen to me, which is something that’s been worrying him.”

            “Nothing bad will ever happen to you,” Don said forcefully.  “I promise you that.”

            A touch of color painted April’s cheeks.  “I like that, Donnie.  I like it a lot.”

            All thoughts of his experiment and of Timothy floated right out of Don’s head as he looked at April.  He took a couple of steps in her direction before the sound of raised voices redirected his attention.

            Mikey raced past them, a dirty spoon in one hand.  “I just wanted you to taste it!” he shouted, glancing over his shoulder.

            As he zipped by, Raph came into view, his head and neck covered in a yellow, sticky substance.  “I’m gonna make you taste my fist!” he roared, darting after his brother.

            Leo sauntered in behind them, stopping when he spotted Don.  “I’m afraid the floor in Raph’s room needs some attention.”

            “Go on, I’ll finish in here,” April said quickly, before Don could protest.  “We’ll talk some more later.”

            Don didn’t get a chance to venture into his lab even after his chores were completed because one thing after another kept coming up.  When night fell, Mr. O’Neil and Irma arrived together, each carrying a stack of pizza boxes.  While they were sorting them out on the dining table, Don slipped away.

            He was starting to feel a little anxious at not being able to work on his idea and eating was the last thing on his mind.  It took him a couple of hours to create the chemical he needed, only to discover that there were a few things he needed from the kitchen.

            Making his way there, Don tried not to draw attention to himself because he really didn’t want any more delays.  He noticed that Mr. O’Neil had gone and that Master Splinter had retired for the evening.  His brothers and their friends were seated around the television, watching a movie, but as Don stopped at the kitchen door to observe them, he saw Raph get up.

            Don forgot his mission for a moment as he watched Raph lean over Leo and whisper something to him.  The blue banded leader turned his head and smiled, taking Raph’s offered hand.  Without a word to anyone, the pair left the room and disappeared into Leo’s.

            Casey and April were snuggled together on the couch and appeared to be deep in conversation.  On the far end of the couch from them, Irma was sitting on Mikey’s lap, making out with the youngest of the brothers.

            Shaking his head, Don gathered the objects he required, intent on returning to his lab.  When he turned around, he found Mikey standing in the kitchen doorway.

            “I don’t have time, Mikey,” Don said.

            “That’s okay, ‘cause I’m not gonna leave Irma alone for long,” Mikey said.  “I just wanted to tell you that all of your brothers are taking things to the next level, even me.  It’s time for you to catch up, D.”

            After delivering those enigmatic words of wisdom, Mikey spun around and went back to his girlfriend.

            As Don finished setting up the last part of his experimental process, he kept thinking about what Mikey had said.  He knew what Mikey meant by ‘next level’, but understanding it didn’t make things any easier.  Don was by nature used to and accepting of his solitude.  It was how he managed to accomplish all of the things his family seemed to take for granted.

            The sound of the lab door opening and then closing made Donatello huff with frustration.  He assumed that Mikey had returned to impart some more of his sage advice so he didn’t turn around.  Bending over to place the liquid chemical into a metal box, Don heard an appreciative hum and recognized the voice as belonging to Casey.

            “Ya’ know, when April tried to explain to me how caught up ya’ can get in your work, I thought she was exaggerating,” Casey said.  “I guess I’m gonna have to get used to that.”

            April was standing next to him, a half smile on her face.  “You’d think Casey would have learned considering how he nearly drowned helping you go after some mutagen.”

            Don straightened up and eyed the pair.  Casey stood with his arms crossed, staring challengingly at the genius while April tilted her head to observe Don, an engaging expression on her face.

            “I’ve been ignoring you guys.  I’m not doing it on purpose,” Don rushed to say.

            “We know, Donnie,” April said.  “Mikey explained about Timothy and how you think you’ve found a way to get him out of the deep freeze and then restore him to normal, like you did for my dad and Karai.”

            “The clue was in Stockman’s notes,” Don said.  “If this idea works on Timothy, it brings me a step closer to fully restoring Karai.”

            “Mikey also said something about how what you’re doing is gonna have to sit for about twelve hours,” Casey said.  “If that’s true, then we got some time to have a meeting of the minds here.”

            The way he said that got Don’s full attention.  “I just started the incubation procedure,” Don admitted slowly.  “I can’t do anything else for at least twelve hours.”

            “Ya’ mean that ya’ can’t do anything else on this experiment for twelve hours,” Casey clarified.  “There are plenty of other things that time can be used for.”

            “What exactly did you have in mind?” Don asked in a slightly snarky manner and then immediately regretted the way he’d phrased the question.

            Casey grinned, his eyes sparking roguishly.  “Since Master Splinter is okay with the three of us being together, I think we should crank this up a notch.”

            “P . . . pardon?”  Don looked from Casey to April and back again, not sure what the boy was suggesting.  “The three of us?”

             Laughing, Casey said, “No genius, not a threesome.  Not yet at least.”  He wiggled his eyebrows evocatively.  “I’m glad to know ya’ have the imagination to think of that.  April and I talked and since she has no experience and neither do you, we decided on something.”

            April cleared her throat, obviously feeling a little shy as Casey glanced expectantly at her.  “You and I connected before we met Casey, so it’s only right that the two of us be together first.”

            Don’s mouth dropped open, shocked at what the two of them were offering.  “You don’t just decide something like that as though you’re ordering a pizza!”

            “Come on, Donnie,” Casey said.  “Mikey and Irma have already gotten to second base and you know that Leo and Raph are getting it on like rabbits.”

            “Just because I know they’re together doesn’t mean I want that mental image,” Don said, hiding how flustered he was behind a show of indignation.

            “Then let me give you a different one,” April said, her voice silky smooth as she glided up to the tall turtle.  Placing her hands on his shoulders, April looked up at him seductively.  “It took me so long to know what I wanted and through it all you were always there Donnie.  Always so patient.  When I think back on everything we’ve been to each other I’m completely overwhelmed by it.  I’ve finally realized that I love you, Donatello.”

            “April.”  Don swallowed thickly, his hands automatically circling her slender waist.  “I’ve loved you from the moment I first saw you.  Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”

            “You’re not dreaming,” April whispered, offering her mouth to him.

            Don leaned down to kiss her, suddenly intoxicated by the way she felt, the way she sounded, the way she smelled.  Everything about April set his blood on fire and he knew in that moment that he didn’t have to deny himself anything of her.  She was really his.

            “Go you two,” Casey said, his voice husky and earnest.  “I promised to walk Irma home and Mikey will go partway with us.  You have all the time in the world.  Make use of it.”

            April broke the kiss, her eyes searching Don’s for a moment.  As she took his hand and led him out of the lab, Don felt a strange surrealism wash over him.  He’d imagined a moment like this for so long it seemed odd for it to finally be happening.  On the other hand, as he walked towards his bedroom with her, Don had a sensation of sudden clarity, a feeling that he’d never been so alive.

            At the door to his room Don hesitated and April’s hand left his as she proceeded inside ahead of him.  Turning before she reached his bed, April lifted a finger and beckoned to him, her eyes shining.

            A big goofy grin stretched across Don’s face as he watched her kick off her shoes and he all but fell into the room.  Kicking the door shut behind him, Don crossed over to her and their mouths met again in a kiss that was so heated it felt like it would melt his skin.

            Her clothes and his gear went flying in all directions and it was impossible to tell who was removing what from whom.  Don’s hands roamed every inch of bare skin they came into contact with, drawing soft moans of delight from the girl.

            It suddenly felt immensely unfair that his hands were the only things enjoying themselves and Don lifted April, placing her carefully on his bed without breaking their kiss.  When her legs spread, he found a place between them almost automatically, as if that was where he was always meant to be.

            And of course it was.  It had just taken them both some time to become aware of that fact.  Don laughed with the joy of complete understanding before the sound was stolen by April’s irresistibly urgent need.

            Thereafter the only sounds came from a pair of lover’s satisfying their deepest desires.


	100. 100. Relaxation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 4,743  
> Summary: Written as part of the 100 Theme Challenge. Based on my newest ship - Don loves April who has a crush on Casey who has the hots for Don. Triangle ahoy!  
> Rated: PG-13 
> 
> ~~Finished! 100 chapters, 132,424 words. I hope you all enjoyed the adventure!

            When Don woke up, April was still lying next to him, her bare chest pressed against his plastron and one of her legs draped over his.

            A total sense of relaxation had seeped into every pore in Don’s body and he sighed in contentment.  What had occurred between them the night before was much more satisfying than anything Don’s imagination had ever conjured up.

            What was even more amazing was how accepting both April and Casey were of Don’s idiosyncrasies; how they seemed to understand the way his genius worked.  They weren’t put off by those periods when his focus was totally directed towards some project.

            Of course, they had each other too.  Don thought about that, wondering if his night with April would change how he felt about Casey also being with her.  He found that it didn’t; in fact it gave Don an overall feeling of relief to know that neither of them would be alone when a brainstorm of some sort hit him.

            April shifted slightly and then took a deep breath before her eyelids started to flutter.  Don looked down at her face, remaining still as she slowly woke up.

            “Good morning,” April said with a smile as she caught him watching her.

            “Good morning to you too,” Don replied, searching her eyes.  “How are you?”

            Rolling onto her back, April stretched, giving Don an enticing view of her naked body.  “Mmm, I feel great,” she told him.  “I don’t think I’ve ever slept better.  I wonder what could have happened to account for that?”

            The sly look she shot in his direction had Don grinning like a mad man.  Chest swelling with pride, Don said, “I’m more than willing to be a sleep aid anytime you need one.”

            April rolled over again and kissed his mouth.  “You’re always so helpful,” she teased.

            Placing his hand on the curve of her hip, Don said, “We could just stay locked in here for the day.”

            Eyes twinkling, April told him, “As tempting as that offer is, I have a training session with Master Splinter this morning.  I can’t stay here unless you want him knocking on your door and asking where I am.”

            “No thanks, that would be mildly embarrassing,” Don said.  When she slid her foot along the top of his, he added, “Though it might be worth it.”

            Giggling, April slipped out of his grip and off the bed.  As she gathered her clothes and began to put them on, she said, “I’ll stop teasing you.  Don’t you have a little matter of Timothy to deal with?”

            Don propped himself up on his elbow and watched her as she gracefully moved around his room.  “Yes I do.  I’d sure like to resolve that problem; it would be a load off my shoulders.”

            “It ‘ _will’_ be a load off your shoulders,” April corrected him.  “I have confidence in your ability to turn him human again.  How about I peek in later and see how things are going?  I mean, if you don’t think I’ll distract you.”

            “You’ll always distract me,” Don said with a contented smile, “but that’s the kind of distraction that’s actually good for me.  I might put you to work though.”

            “Whatever you need, Donnie,” April said, bracing her hands on the mattress so she could lean in to kiss him again.  “I’ll come by here after practice and change your sheets too.  Who knows, you might want to entertain a certain young man later.  He’s shown a lot of patience in waiting for you.”

            Don blushed.  “He’s been waiting for you too.”

            “Casey has been waiting for you a lot longer,” April assured him.  “Love you Donnie.  See you later.”

            She blew him a kiss and left the room.  Don plopped back down and stared up at the ceiling, a warm feeling suffusing his entire body.  Sex was wonderful and being in love was amazing.

            After a few more minutes of enjoying his feeling of utter tranquility, Don pushed himself out of bed and geared up.  He was a little excited at the idea of telling Casey that his night with April had been phenomenal and to thank the boy for arranging things.

            The idea that the conversation might lead to Casey suggesting they have a night of their own was at the back of Don’s mind as well.  Don didn’t want to be the one to bring it up because Casey might want to be with April next, despite her assurances to the contrary.

            As he passed by the couch, Don noticed that it was empty, the pillow and blanket that Casey had used piled neatly at one end.  He heard a noise coming from the kitchen and headed in that direction.

            Don was a little disappointed to find that it was only Mikey in the kitchen.  His quick glance around wasn’t missed by his youngest brother.

            “Casey ate breakfast and left over an hour ago, bro’,” Mikey said, holding up a spatula with a pancake on it and lifting his eye ridges in question.

            Nodding, Don grabbed a clean plate and accepted the pancake.  As he sat down, Mikey pushed the syrup towards him and turned back to the stove, pouring some more batter into a pan.

            “Going to check on his mom I suppose,” Don said around a mouthful of food.

            “Yep,” Mikey said as he expertly flipped the pancake over.  “He wanted me to tell you that he’ll be back later and that he hopes you’re ready for round two.”

            “Oh.  Okay,” Don replied, trying to behave nonchalantly though his heart started to beat a little faster upon hearing the message.

            Mikey was suddenly there, leaning across the table and grinning at him.  “Speaking of which, how was round one?  Did you have an awesome night?”

            There was a distinctly smug smile on Mikey’s face and no mistaking the fact that he knew Don and April had slept together.  Still it was fairly insufferable the way Mikey always seemed to be aware of everything that happened in their family.

            “You have to be the nosiest turtle ever,” Don said, though he couldn’t help it that his lips quivered in amusement.

            “It’s a good thing I am or none of my brothers would have ever found true love,” Mikey said, turning away to attend to the pancake.  Returning with a fresh one, he slid it onto Don’s plate and said, “You can thank me anytime.”

            “Thank you, Mikey,” Don said, giving his brother a toothy grin.

            “I don’t know if that was for my help or the pancake,” Mikey said, looking at Don suspiciously before breaking into a smile.  “I’ll pretend it was for both.”

            Don managed to put away a few more pancakes before taking his leave and heading for the lab.  Timothy looked exactly the same but Don hoped that in a few hours, that would change.

            He had just extracted the chemical base from the metal box when April joined him.  With her assistance, he readied the remainder of the chemicals he needed and then carefully mixed everything together.

            “How are you going to do this?” April asked as Don filled a syringe with the newly synthesized reagent.

            Stepping over to Timothy, Don slid open the small door at the bottom of his tank.  “I’m going to apply this in small doses and wait for the frozen liquid to defrost.  I can shoot the reagent in farther with each application until he’s no longer frozen.  After that the retromutagen I’ve already applied should be able to work.”

            “I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” April said, doing so on both hands.

            Very carefully, Don pressed against the plunger and coated a section of frozen liquid with the reagent.  As the seconds ticked by with no visible change, he started to chew at his lower lip.

            Then he saw the glistening whiteness on that section disappear and it was once more the gelatinous substance that Timothy had mutated into.

            “Yes!” Don shouted gleefully, hearing an answering squeal of delight come from April.  With the same caution, Don applied another dose of the reagent.

            Each dose achieved the intended result and soon Timothy was no longer a frozen mass.  Don waved April back and he too moved, putting distance between them and Timothy as the mutated boy’s floating eyes began to blink.

            “April,” Timothy croaked, spotting the girl immediately.

            “Don,” April whispered, eyes wide.

            “Hold on,” Don said.  “Give it a second.”

            Timothy took a step towards April and then another.  She remained where she was and Timothy reached for her.

            His hand paused when it was only partway up and he stopped moving.  His entire form suddenly jerked and he fell to his knees.  “April?” Timothy asked, as though looking for an explanation from her as to why he couldn’t move.

            “You’ll be all right, Timothy,” April said in a soothing voice, trying to keep him calm.

            A hoarse cry came from his voice box and then Timothy’s legs snapped back into his containment tank and it fell forward.  When Timothy tried to push himself up with his arms he got no more than an inch off the ground before they too were sucked back into the tank.

            “Quick, we have to get the tank off of him!” Don exclaimed, rushing forward.

            April raced over to Timothy and began pulling at the lid, trying to help Don turn it.  They managed a quarter turn and then it stuck tight.

            “It won’t move!” April shouted, growing frantic as Timothy started to change inside the tank.

            “Get back, I have to break it!” Don yelled.

            Don leaped for his bo staff as April scrambled out of the way.  Before Don could reach it though, an orange streak sped past him.

            “Booyakasha!” Mikey called out as his nunchucks slammed into the bottom of the tank.

            The lid exploded outward, snapping off of the tank and sliding across the lab floor.  Don jumped back over to Timothy and grabbed the tank.

            “Help me pull it off before he turns solid!” Don urged his brother.

            Mikey took hold of the other side and together they yanked the tank upwards and off of Timothy, who landed on the floor with a splat.

            In another couple of seconds the gelatin began to elongate and solidify.  As the trio watched, the substance formed distinct arms and legs, and then a head.  It was an amazing transformation to behold and Don couldn’t tear his eyes away.

            Suddenly there was no more mutagen man, just Timothy wearing nothing but his birthday suit.  April spun around and ran into the infirmary, returning with a sheet which Don quickly wrapped around Timothy.

            “You did it Donnie,” April said in a hushed and reverent voice.

            Timothy groaned and rolled onto his back before opening his eyes.  Don and Mikey squatted next to him and he looked at them, his expression blank.

            “How do you feel, Timothy?” Don asked gently.

            “What happened?” Timothy asked.  “Where am I?  Who are you?”

            “Don’t you remember us dude?” Mikey asked.

            “Why are you wearing costumes?”  Timothy looked from Don to Mikey and then his eyes found April.  “Do I know you?”

            “I’m April.”  Reaching down she took his hand.  “Do you think you can stand up?  You hit your head pretty hard when you fell.”

            “I fell?”  Timothy started to rise and Don grabbed his other arm to help.  Once Timothy was on his feet, April released him but Don held on because it was clear that the boy’s knees were wobbly.  “Why am I wearing a sheet?”

            Once more it was April who thought the fastest.  “We were at a costume party and you came in a toga.  You tripped on it and fell down.  We were helping you to this clinic when you lost consciousness and fell again.”

            “Oh,” Timothy said, rubbing his head.  “I feel weird.”

            “Why don’t you lie down over here,” Don said, directing Timothy into the infirmary and helping him onto the cot.  “The um, nurse went to get a doctor.”

            Timothy was asleep almost immediately upon stretching out and Don went out to join April and Mikey.  April was on her cell phone to her dad, explaining what had happened.

            “Tell him that Timothy has amnesia,” Don said.

            April delivered the message and listened for a couple of minutes before telling her father good-bye.  “He’s coming down in a bit.  He said to keep Timothy still until he can assess the situation and then he’ll get him home.”

            “Mikey, your timing was perfect,” Don praised his brother.  “Thanks, you really saved the day.”

            “Aw shucks, it was nothing,” Mikey said with false modesty.  “Just my super awesome ninja skills coming to the rescue.”

            “We can’t leave Timothy alone until Mr. O’Neil arrives,” Don said, glancing towards the curtained area.  “I’ll stay with him.”

            “I’ll stay,” Mikey offered.  “You missed lunch.  I can sit with him and read my new comic book.”

            He brandished his latest acquisition which displayed a rather lurid monster on the cover.

            “Just don’t touch anything,” Don admonished his brother.

            “I won’t budge from the chair,” Mikey promised, diving through the curtain into the infirmary.

            Don and April walked out of the lab together.  “Lunch?” he asked.

            “I’ve already had mine,” April told him.  “I’m scheduled for meditation with Master Splinter.  Want to walk me there?”

            With a grin, Don took her offered hand and together they made their way to Master Splinter’s room, entering when they were told to.

            “Donatello, you are out of your lab,” Master Splinter observed.

            “He cured Timothy!” April exclaimed excitedly, squeezing Don’s arm.

            “Congratulations my son,” Master Splinter said proudly.

            Don broke into a wide smile.  “Thank you, sensei.  Not only is Timothy back to normal, he doesn’t remember a thing, not even us.  Mr. O’Neil is going to help him get home and with any luck, Timothy won’t ever think about being a crime fighter or ninja again.”

            “That is indeed gratifying,” Master Splinter said, “considering he was ill equipped for either of those professions.”

            They all laughed at that and then April planted a kiss squarely on his lips as Don was exiting the room.  Master Splinter wore a pleased expression at seeing the display and Don was on cloud nine the entire time he was eating lunch.

            Don had hoped that Casey would come back after midday, but there was no sign of the boy.  Restless, Don decided that he’d go to the dojo and get in a little exercise, but as he drew near he heard sounds that told him someone else was already there.

            Rather than entering, Don stayed out of sight.  He had picked out the voices of both Leo and Raph and was a little surprised to hear Karai’s as well.  Silently approaching the door, he peeked inside.

            Leo stood off to one side, watching as Raph and Karai sparred.  Karai moved fast, much faster than before she was mutated and she was extremely flexible.  Raph countered her advantage in that area by using his strength to tangle her up when she got too close.

            From his vantage point, Leo offered encouragement and advice to both sides, seemingly having taken on a mentor role.  Just when Don began to think the pair might be evenly matched, Raph suddenly turned and barreled into Karai, leaving ninja finesse behind in favor of brute force.

            Don gasped as Karai fell flat on her back and Raph straddled her, his hand on her throat keeping her pinned down.  Just as Don began to think he’d have to rush in and help Leo separate them, Karai started to laugh.

            When she tapped out, Raph stood and offered her a hand up.  Rising, Karai said, “I did not see that one coming.  That was very unconventional; you’ll have to teach me that trick.”

            “You ain’t got the build for it,” Raph said with a grin, “but I’ll show you how to avoid it in the future.”

            Leo walked up to them and Raph slid an arm across his shoulders as the trio began to talk.  Don slipped away before they could notice him, impressed at how tight those three were becoming.

            Mr. O’Neil was just arriving when Don came downstairs and he took the man in to see Timothy.  Mikey quickly took his leave of them, proclaiming that they were boring and he had stuff to do.

            The process of getting Timothy ready to leave took another couple of hours.  Mr. O’Neil had brought some clothes in different sizes and by trial and error they found something for Timothy to wear.

            Since Timothy was still confused and somewhat dazed, Mr. O’Neil took him out through the lab exit, explaining that the costume party Timothy had attended was in an abandoned rail car in the tunnels.  Timothy accepted the lie readily enough and the last Don saw of him, he was talking Mr. O’Neil’s ear off.

            Having a little time left before dinner, Don spent it cleaning his lab and catching up on his notes.  He was starting to think that Casey wasn’t going to make it back to the lair and that had him feeling slightly disappointed.

            Don headed for the kitchen around dinnertime, determined that for once no one was going to have to come and get him.  Mikey’s laughter from that direction made him think that Irma was once more a dinner guest, but then he heard another distinctly masculine voice issuing from the kitchen and recognized it as Casey’s.

            There was more pep in his steps as Don approached the kitchen.  Coming to a stop just inside, he watched as Mikey flipped pizza dough into the air, catching it expertly on his fists before flinging it back up again.

            Casey observed the demonstration and then grabbed some dough and began tossing it as well.  His first try didn’t go so well and it landed on his arms, but he didn’t give up.

            By the time the dough was firmly on a pair of pans, both Mikey and Casey were covered in flour.  Casey grinned at Don, lifting his arms and stomping towards the turtle like Frankenstein’s monster.

            Don playfully backed away, eyes wide in mock terror.  “Stay away from me you beast,” he called out.

            “I am the flour mutant,” Casey intoned.  “Join me.”

            “You are the flour nuisance,” April said, coming up behind Don.  “Go back in the kitchen before you get that mess everywhere.”

            “Not the dreaded mutant whisperer!” Casey exclaimed, dashing towards the sink to wash the flour off.

            Don put his arm around April’s waist, kissing her temple before saying, “My hero.  What did I do to deserve such a savior?”

            “How could I not save the most handsome, talented ninja who wields a mean staff and is the smartest guy in the world?” April countered with a smile.

            “Hey, what about me Red?” Casey asked, walking up to them.  “I use a mighty big stick too.”

            “I thought that you mostly just talked about it,” April shot back.

            “I guess I’m going to have to prove myself then,” Casey said, wiggling his eyebrows at the pair.

            The sound of Master Splinter greeting Mr. O’Neil reached them and April looked back towards the lair.  “Not to me, I’ve got a date with my dad tonight.  We’re going to eat at Mr. Murakami’s and have a little father daughter quality time.  I convinced my dad we’d be safe because no one will see us in the back room.”

            “You’re going out?” Don asked somewhat unnecessarily, starting to feel apprehensive.

            April smiled knowingly.  “Yes, but don’t worry.  I’m sure Casey will help you occupy your time.”

            She darted off before Don could react.  Looking back at Casey, Don couldn’t help but swallow nervously as he saw the smug look on the boy’s face.

            “Looks like it’s just you and me pal,” Casey said in a low voice.

            Don felt frozen by Casey’s gaze and when a voice sounded behind him he almost jumped out of his skin.

            “I smell pizza,” Raph said, pushing by Don to enter the kitchen.  “You better have made a lot, ‘cause I’m hungry.”

            “No sweat Raph,” Mikey replied.  “There are two in the oven and two more waiting to go in.”

            “How can he be such a klutz in my lab and a complete virtuoso in the kitchen?” Don mumbled under his breath as he walked out the door to check in with Mr. O’Neil.

            “It’s all about passion,” Casey answered, even though the question was rhetorical.  “Mikey’s is food.  Do you want to talk about mine?”

            Don blushed and was saved from having to answer as Mr. O’Neil waved him over.  He could hear Casey chuckling behind him and glanced back in time to see the boy strike up a conversation with Raph.

            When the pizzas were ready, Don found he couldn’t eat much.  April and her father had gone and Irma had turned up bearing a large chocolate cake.  There was much good humored talk around the table, but Don’s stomach was in knots and every time he looked at Casey it tightened even more.

            He hadn’t felt so nervous when he and April had finally gotten together.  Of course, that had been sprung on him and Don didn’t have a lot of time to anticipate anything.  Casey’s almost constant teasing and innuendos were making Don uptight.  After all, the young mutant had known what to do when he’d finally gotten April into bed.  He only had the vaguest of ideas when it came to being with Casey.

            Everyone was still enjoying their pizza when Don excused himself, saying he needed to check on something.  Master Splinter called after him to remind him there was cake but Don wasn’t hungry for any.

            Rather than going to his lab though, Don escaped to the dojo.  He had been sitting still for too long and the pent up energy had to go somewhere other than his stomach.

            Don was practicing with his bo when he sensed another presence and spun around, his staff whipping up as his moved.  He stopped it inches from Casey’s face.

            “Are ya’ avoiding me now?” Casey asked.

            Slowly lowering the staff, Don said, “No.  I couldn’t sit there any longer, I needed to move.”

            “To clear your head maybe?”  Casey examined Don with a knowing smile.  “How was your night with April?”

            Don remembered how excited he was early in the day to talk to Casey about it and some of that feeling came back.  “It was beyond awesome,” Don answered.  “It was the best thing ever.  I feel like she’s really a part of me now.”

            “She is,” Casey said.  “She always has been.  Even I saw that when we first met.  It kinda made me jealous trying to figure out how I was gonna get a chance with ya’ with the two of ya’ caring about each other so much.”

            Don shrugged.  “She didn’t let me see it,” he said.  “I thought I was creeping her out and that she only had eyes for you.”

            “She had a crush on me all right,” Casey said a trifle smugly, “but she did a fine job of trying to hide it.  I think April was confused about liking both of us, so she acted as if she didn’t like either of us.  Women.”

            “You’re so worldly wise,” Don teased.  “As if you have all that much experience.”

            “More than you,” Casey retorted with a grin.  “One night with April does not make you an expert on the subject.”

            “What would make me an expert?” Don asked, starting to enjoy their wordplay.

            Instead of the banter Don expected, Casey said, “This.”

            Stepping in close, Casey’s hand closed around the back of Don’s neck, holding him in place.  Don had little time to do more than grunt in surprise before Casey’s mouth pressed against his.

            Rather than the rough forcefulness that Don expected, Casey’s kiss was slow and sensuous.  The warmth from the boy’s mouth spread down into Don’s body, traveling all the way into his toes, which curled into the floor mat.

            When Casey released him, Don couldn’t do much more than blink and stare, his mouth hanging open.

            “I left a message for you to be ready for round two,” Casey said, his voice husky.  “I hope you are.”

            “I am now,” Don managed to say.

            Casey chuckled, his expression all too cocky.  “That’s good ‘cause I got some things to teach ya’.  Last night you got to top, tonight it’s my turn.”

            The leg sweep was so fast that Casey had no time to react to the movement.  As his back hit the floor, Don’s bo pressed into his neck at the pulse point, giving Casey no quarter to move.

            “You topping is not a given,” Don said in a low tone.  “As I recall, when we were in the TCRI building you said I could top if that made me feel more comfortable.”

            “I’ve really got to learn to watch what I say around ya’,” Casey said.  “Ya’ don’t forget anything.”

            Don moved his staff aside and Casey got up.  “Now what?” Don asked.

            “Best two out of three in your room?” Casey suggested, the complacent grin reappearing on his face.

            “You’re on,” Don said, turning quickly and racing toward the stairs.

            Don had a fleeting thought that he should have employed ninja stealth in leading Casey to his bedroom, but was happy to note that everyone else was still in the kitchen.  When he hesitated to make sure no one was paying them any attention, Casey blew by him.

            Snapping out of it, Don dashed after him, losing sight of the boy when he rounded the corner to the bedrooms.  Don’s door was standing open but as soon as he was inside, Casey pushed it closed and locked it.

            “Gotcha,” Casey said with a mischievous smirk.  He pulled Don’s bo staff free and tossed it aside before tackling the turtle.

            The pair hit the bed, their mouths already connected.  It was then that Don realized how much he wanted this with Casey; how subconsciously he’d been looking forward to it all day.

            Casey was already stripping him and as his fingers worked to remove Don’s belt, the ninja rolled the boy onto his back.  With a hard tug, Don pulled both Casey’s undershirt and hooded sweatshirt off together.

            Don ran his hands over Casey’s bare chest before proceeding downwards to his jeans.  Casey was panting as he stared up at Don, his cheeks flushed and hair in a wild disarray.  For the second time in his life, Don worked the button on Casey’s jeans and then attacked the zipper, drawing an almost identical groan as the last time from the boy.

            As Don started to pull his jeans off, Casey said, “Holy crap, hang on.”  Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a tube of something and tossed it onto a pillow.  “We’re gonna need that.”

            Mesmerized by the secrets hidden beneath Casey’s pants, Don barely heard him.  Once the jeans and underwear joined Casey’s shoes on the floor, the boy surged upwards and changed positions with Don.

            Straddling the genius, Casey leaned in for a kiss, his hands searching Don’s body.  His talented fingers coaxed Don into the open and then he gasped in surprise at seeing the turtle in all his glory.

            “Damn,” Casey murmured, eyes wide.

            Don took the opportunity while Casey was still stunned to push him onto his back again.  Looming over him, Don grinned.  “What were you saying about that tube again?”

            “I hope I brought enough,” Casey answered.

            Several hours later the pair lay side by side.  The bed was a disaster, the sheets half off and the pillows on the floor.  Casey was breathing deeply, murmuring from time to time and Don had woken at the sound, smiling when he realized that the boy talked in his sleep.

            It was hard to imagine how they had gotten to this point when Don remembered his initial reaction to Casey.  Now it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to be sleeping with him.  Maybe before long Don would be sharing a bed with both Casey _and_ April at the same time.

            That idea put a big smile on Donatello’s face.

            “I love being a turtle,” he murmured aloud.

The End


End file.
